Mass Effect
by Kida Tenshi
Summary: Paige Cameron is a human who works in the Alliance with her two brothers. She joins John Shepard's team and instantly feels a connection with the Commander. Now they must work together to stop Saren and Sovereign.
1. Character Information

**Name:** Paige Cameron

 **Age:** 29

 **Birthday:** February 12th, 2155.

 **Species:** Human

 **Biotics:** Adept.

 **Ranking:** Lieutenant Commander

 **Height:** 5'6"

 **Weight:** 110 lbs.

 **Blood Type:** A

 **Eye Color:** Green

 **Hair:** Black

 **Family:** Shawn Cameron (Father; Deceased), Lisa Cameron (Mother; Deceased), Marcus Cameron (Elder Brother), and Russell Cameron (Little Brother).

 **Biography:** You'll find out in the story, hehe! ^_^ Oh! And she's Australian.

 **Personality:** Intelligent, Optimistic, Caring, Admirable, and Sarcastic.


	2. The Citadel

**~John~**

We finally landed at the Citadel and were going to try and talk with the Council about Saren. Ashley, Kaidan, Anderson, and I left the Normandy and went to Ambassador Udina's office. Udina then talked with the Council.

"This is an outrage! The Council would step in if the geth attacked a turian colony!" Udina snapped.

"The turians don't found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador," the Salarian Councilor retorted.

"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse," the Asari Councilor agreed.

"What about Saren? You can't just ignore a rogue Spectre. I demand action!" Udina told them.

"You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador," the Turian Councilor stated.

"Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before," the Asari Councilor added. They then logged off and Udina turned to us.

"Captain Anderson. I see you brought half your crew with you," Udina said.

"Just the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions," Anderson explained.

"I have the mission reports. I assume they're accurate?" Udina asked.

"They are. Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience," Anderson said.

"They were not happy about it. Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason," Udina stated.

"Saren's a threat to every human colony out there. He needs to be stopped. The Council has to listen to us!" I told him.

"Settle down, Commander. You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!" Udina said to me.

"Get the pole out of your ass, Udina," I heard a male British voice say. I looked at the door and saw a man with short shaggy hair and green eyes. He must have been in his late thirties.

"Captain Cameron, I invited you here to help us. So watch what you say!" Udina snapped at him. Captain Cameron rolled his eyes. Kaidan and Ashely hid their snickers at what Captain Cameron said next. Even I had to stop myself from smiling. Anderson smirked though.

"I'd like to see you try and make me, _Ambassador._ Of course, that would involve you having to grow a pair first. I saw the vids. That was Saren's fault, not his," Captain Cameron stated. Udina glared at him before turning to me.

"Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres," he told me. He then looked at Anderson and Captain Cameron. "Come with me, Captains. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard-you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in," Udina told me before leaving. Anderson chuckle with Captain Cameron.

"And that's why I hate politicians," Ashley muttered.

"Shepard, this is my old friend Marcus Cameron. He and I have worked together for many years," Anderson told me.

"Captain," I greeted shaking hands with him.

"Please, just call me Cameron or Marcus. I'm not much for formalities," he chuckled. I nodded with a small smile. "Well, I wish you good luck when talking with the Council, Shepard," he told me before he and Anderson left. The rest of us soon left to go to the Citadel Tower. Once there we walked up and saw two turians talking.

"Saren's hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them," A turian dressed in blue and black armor said.

"Stall the Council? Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus," the other turian said before walking away. The turian named Garrus looked at me before walking up.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren," Garrus told me.

"Who were you just talking to?" I asked curious.

"That was Executor Pallin, head of Citadel Security. My boss. He'll be presenting my findings on Saren to the Council," Garrus answered.

"Sounds like you really want to bring him down," I said meaning Saren. Garrus crossed his arms.

"I don't trust him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence," Garrus stated.

"I think the Council's ready for us, Commander," Kaidan told me.

"Good luck, Shepard. Maybe they'll listen to you," Garrus told me before I left. We made it to where Anderson was then.

"The hearings already started. Come on," he led me up to where we were meeting the Council.

"The geth attack is a matter of some concern. But there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in any way," the Asari Councilor said as I saw a hologram of Saren standing by.

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason," the Turian Councilor added.

"An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood!" Udina stated.

"We've read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador. The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling proof," the Salarian Councilor said.

"Did you not think perhaps he was traumatized from witnessing Nihlus' death?" Cameron pointed out with narrowed green eyes.

"I resent these accusations. Nihlus was a fellow Spectre. And a friend," Saren said.

"Yeah, I bet," Cameron glared.

"That just let you catch him off guard!" Anderson glared as well.

"Captain Cameron. Captain Anderson. You two always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me. And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed," Saren said looking at me. I narrowed my eyes at his lie.

"The mission to Eden Prime was top secret. The only way you could know about the beacon was if you were there!" I stated.

"With Nihlus gone, his files passed on to me. I read the Eden Prime report. I was unimpressed. But what can you expect from a human?" Saren asked. Why am I not surprised at that insult?

"Saren despises humanity. That's why he attacked Eden Prime!" I stated.

"Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard. You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres!" Saren told me.

"Last I checked, that wasn't your decision to make, now was it?" Cameron asked glaring.

"Shepard's admission into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting," the Asari Councilor piped up.

"This meeting has no purpose. The humans are wasting your time, Councilor. And mine," Saren told her.

"Saren's hiding behind his position as a Spectre. You need to open your eyes!" I told the Council.

"What we need is evidence. So far, we have seen nothing," the Salarian Councilor stated.

"There is still one outstanding issue: Commander Shepard's vision. It may have been triggered by the beacon," Anderson said.

"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now? How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?" Saren asked the Council.

"I agree. Our evidence must be based on facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation," the Turian Councilor said.

"Do you have anything else to add, Commander Shepard?" The Salarian Councilor asked me. They won't see the truth.

"You've made your decision. I won't waste my breath," I replied. The Asari and Turian Councilors shared a look before looking back at us.

"The Council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied," the Asari Councilor said.

"I'm glad to see justice was served," Saren said before disappearing.

"And I'd be glad to shove my foot up your bloody ass," Cameron mumbled. I smirked a little hearing that.

"This meeting is adjourned," the Asari Councilor said before the Council left, as did we. Udina followed behind us and looked at the Captains.

"It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captains. You two and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives," Udina said to Anderson and Cameron.

"Marcus and I know Saren. He's working for the geth for one reason: to exterminate the entire human race. Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth isn't safe," Anderson told me. If we're going to get to Saren, I'll have to learn about him.

"Tell me about this history between you and Saren," I said to him.

"We worked with him on a mission a long time ago. Things went bad. Real bad. We shouldn't talk about this here. But we know what he's like. And he has to be stopped," Anderson said to me.

"What's our next step?" I asked him.

"As a Specter, he's virtually unstoppable. We need to find a way to expose him. If you want to get to Saren, then you'll need more people to help you," Cameron said to us.

"What about Garrus, that C-Sec investigator? We saw him arguing with the executor," Kaidan said.

"That's right! He was asking for more time to finish his report. Seems like he was close to finding something on Saren," Ashely added. I looked at Cameron and Anderson.

"Any idea where we can find them?" I asked.

"I have a contact in C-Sec who can help us track Garrus down. His name is Harkin," Udina said.

"Not that drunkard bastard," Cameron said irritated.

"Forget it," Anderson agreed. "They suspended Harkin last month. Drinking on the job. I won't waste my time with that loser," Anderson denied. Udina crossed his arms.

"You won't have to. I don't want the Council using your past history with Saren as an excuse to ignore anything we turn up. Shepard will handle this," Udina said to him. He can't just do that.

"You can't just cut Captain Anderson out of this investigation," I told him.

"The Ambassador's right. I need to step aside," Anderson said.

"I need to take care of some business. Captain, meet me in my office later…both of you," Udina said to Cameron and Anderson before he leaves. Cameron sighs.

"Am I the only one that wants to strangle that bastard?" He asked. Anderson chuckled.

"No, you're not alone, my friend," Anderson said to him. He then looked at me. "Harkin's probably getting drunk at Chora's Den. It's a dingy little club in the lower section of the wards," he told me.

"I thought you said he was a drunken loser," I said to him.

"Couldn't hurt to go talk to him. Just be careful. I wouldn't call him reliable," he said to me. I looked at them.

"You two and Saren have a history. What happened?" I asked them. Cameron looked at Anderson who nodded, then at me before sighing.

"About twenty years ago, David and I were a part of a mission in the Skyllian Verge. We were working with Saren to find and remove a known terrorist threat. Saren eliminated his target. But a lot of people died along the way. Innocent people. And the official records just covered it all up," Cameron told me.

"But we saw how he operates. No conscience. No hesitation. He'd kill a thousand innocent civilians to end a war without a second thought," Anderson finished for him.

"Killing innocents doesn't end wars. It causes them," I disagreed.

"I know how the world works, Commander. Sometimes you're forced to make unpleasant decisions. But only if there's no other way. Saren doesn't even look for another option. He's twisted, broken. He likes the violence, the killing. And he knows how to cover his tracks," Anderson told me. Cameron nodded.

"Anyways, we should get going to Udina's office. Commander, before you go, I know someone else who can help you. She's never really liked Saren much anyway. Her name is Paige, Lieutenant Commander Paige Cameron," he told me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Sister or something?" I asked him. He nodded.

"She's my little sister and like me, she loves a good fight. She also loves a good adventure. Find her and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. She's in the Presidium if you want to find her," Cameron told me before he and Anderson left. Paige Cameron, an LC. I looked at Kaidan and Ashely.

"Do you think we should?" I asked them.

"Well, she is a Lieutenant Commander. But she must be young as well considering Cameron said she was his little sister. What could it hurt?" Kaidan asked. Ashely shrugged.

"It would be worth the shot. The more people we have helping us, the faster this can end," she agreed. I nodded and we set off. It was then we made our way to the Presidium. When we got close to the Emporium, I heard talking.

"Come on, girlie. Just one night," I heard a man say. There was a scoff.

"I'd have to be blind and stupid to go with an asshole like you," I heard a female Australian voice say. Must be Paige. I walked over and saw five men surrounding her.

"Why you little bitch!" Another guy said. They started to attack her until I saw her smirk. She grabbed one of the hands that was about to punch her and twisted it before throwing him into another guy. She did a side kick to another before back handing the fourth guy. Four guys were down and she looked at the fifth with a smirk.

"Boo," she said to him. He then scampered away making her chuckle. I couldn't help but watch in amusement. "Loser," she mumbled before looking at the other men. "All of you, get up and get out of here before I kick our asses again and turn you in," she threatened. They all got up and ran off. I looked her over. She was a few inches shorter than me, long black hair that wasn't tied up or anything, and lastly, her vibrant green eyes. She was beautiful.

"Paige Cameron?" I asked. She looked at me and smiled.

"That would be me. Pleasure to meet you, Commander Shepard," she said to me as we shook hands.

"Pleasure is all mine. Your brother told me that you aren't a fan of Saren. How would you like to help us take him down?" I asked her. She raised an eyebrow, interested.

"Are you being serious? No joke?" She asked me hoping. I gave her a small smile.

"I'm not kidding. You can even ask your brother and Captain Anderson if you still think I'm joking," I said to her. She gave me a small grin.

"Well, Commander, I would be honored to join you in the fight against Saren," she said to me. I nodded and Ashely looked at me.

"I'm going to head back to the ship. See you all in a little bit," she said to us. I gave a curt nod and she left. Paige then looked at Kaidan.

"Well, I know Shepard and you both know me. But I don't know you," she said to him. He chuckled.

"Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, Lieutenant Commander," he said formally to her. She shook her head.

"I can't stand formalities, just call me Paige or Cameron," she said to us. Kaidan and I looked at each other.

"Definitely his sister," we both said. Paige shrugged.

"Runs in the family I guess. Now, what are you up to?" She asked us.

"We're looking for Garrus Vakarian. Udina thinks we should try Harkin," Kaidan told her. Her face twisted to irritation.

"Not that perverted drunken bastard," she grumbled. I chuckled at that. She is definitely her brother's sister. "I hate to say it, but we don't really have a choice," she told us. We nodded and got moving down to Chora's Den. Along the way, we told her everything that happened to catch her up. Once we got there, two turian assassins attacked us. Paige took out a rifle and shot them down with no problem.

"Those were Saren's men," Kaidan stated. Paige nodded in agreement.

"He must know that we're not going to stop until we take him down," she said. We then walked into the club and looked for Harkin. When we did, we saw two krogan.

"Back off, Wrex. Fist told us to take you down if you showed up," the krogan bouncer told the other krogan.

"What are you waiting for? I'm standing right here," Wrex countered. I saw Paige smirk obviously enjoying this. "This is Fist's only chance. If he's smart, he'll take it," he finished.

"He's not coming out, Wrex. End of story," the bouncer told him.

"This story is just beginning," Wrex said. He then walked passed us. "Out of my way, humans. I have no quarrel with you," he said to us.

"What was that all about?" Kaidan asked after Wrex left.

"There's been a problem with Fist for a while. Obviously he has made an enemy with Wrex," Paige stated. We made our way over to Harkin who looked at me.

"Alliance military. Hmph. I coulda been a Marine you know. Instead I joined the goddamned Citadel Security. Biggest mistake of my life," Harkin said to us. Paige rolled her eyes and he smiled sickly at her. "Hey, sweetheart. Finally decided to come to me, huh?" He asked her. She glared at him.

"Not even in your dreams, Harkin. Tell me where Garrus Vakarian is and I won't have to shove my boot up your ass," she crossed her arms. She really doesn't like him…even though it's obvious why.

"Still trying to bring down Saren for your big brother, huh? I know where Garrus is. But you guys gotta tell me something first. Did the Captains let you in on their big secret?" Harkin asked me and Paige.

"Is there something I should know about the Captains?" I asked him.

"The Captains used to be Spectres. Didn't know that, did you? It was all very hush-hush. The first two humans to ever be given that honor. And they blew it. Screwed up their mission so bad they kicked them out. Of course, the two blame Saren. Says the turian set them up," Harkin told us. Paige glared at him harder. If looks could kill, he would be down in hell right about now.

"Why'd they kick them out?" I asked. Harkin shrugged.

"Have to ask them. I never heard any of the details. Bet it's a good story, though. The hero's fall. Classic tragedy. Ha!" Harkin laughed. Paige growled.

"Just tell us where Garrus is and I might not punch you," she said to him. He flinch at her.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh, calm down, babe. Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michel's office. She runs a med clinic on the other side of the wards. Last I heard, he was going back there," he told us. We then walked out of Chora's Den.

"You really don't like Harkin, do you?" Kaidan asked Paige.

"Not since he groped me a year back," she answered. I now had the strong urge to walk back and punch Harkin.

"What did you do?" I asked her.

"What any sane girl would do…I kicked his ass," she smirked. I chuckled. We made it to the Med Clinic and walked in. There we saw Garrus with a gun out.

"I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" I heard a woman cry.

"That was smart, Doc. Now, if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we'll-!" the thug then saw me and grabbed the doctor while holding a gun. "Who are you?!" He shouted.

"Let her go!" I held my gun up with Kaidan and Paige. It was then the thug that was holding the doctor was shot down by Garrus.

"Garrus, you twit!" Paige shouted. She then grabbed the doctor and hid her while we shot down the thugs who were shooting at us. Paige looked the doctor over. "Are you okay, Dr. Michel?" She asked her. Dr. Michel nodded at her.

"Yes, thank you," the doctor answered. Garrus looked at me.

"Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard," he commented.

"What were you thinking? You could have hit the hostage," I scowled.

"There wasn't time to think! I just reacted. I didn't mean to—Dr. Michel? Are you hurt?" Garrus asked.

"No. I'm okay. Thanks to you. All of you," the doctor told us.

"I know those men threatened you. But if you tell us who they work for, we can protect you," I said to her.

"They work for Fist. They wanted to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the quarian," she told me.

"What quarian?" I asked her.

"A few days ago, a quarian came by my office. She'd been shot, but she wouldn't tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run. She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to hide," Dr. Michel informed.

"Where is she now?" I asked her.

"I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker," she told me.

"Not anymore. Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it," Garrus said.

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer," Dr. Michel said surprised. Paige crossed her arms.

"That quarian must have something Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get," she said.

"She must have something that proves he's a traitor," I agreed with her. I looked at the doctor. "Did the quarian mention anything about Saren? Or the geth?" I asked her.

"She did! The information she was going to trade. She said it had something to do with the geth," she answered.

"She must be able to link Saren to the geth. There's no way the Council can ignore this," Garrus said.

"Time we paid Fist a visit," I said. Paige nodded in agreement

"This is your show, Shepard. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I'm coming with you!" Garrus said to me. This got me curious.

"You're a turian. Why do you want to bring him down?" I asked.

"I couldn't find the proof I needed in my investigation. But I knew what was really going on. Saren's a traitor to the Council, and a disgrace to my people!" He told me. There was a good answered.

"Welcome aboard, Garrus," I said to him.

"You know, we aren't the only ones going after Fist. The Shadow Broker hired a krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take him out," Garrus said. Paige nodded.

"Yeah, we saw him in the bar. Big guy was ready for a fight," she smirked.

"A krogan might come in handy," I said to her. She nodded.

"Last I heard, he was at the C-Sec Academy," Garrus said.

"What's he doing there?" Paige asked.

"Fist accused him of making threats. We brought Wrex in for a little talk. If you hurry, you can catch him at the Academy before he leaves," Garrus told us. I nodded.

"Let's go," I said to them. Kaidan left back for the ship afterwards. With that we got going. We finally made it to C-Sec and found Wrex with some of the officers.

"Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist's bar. Stay away from him," The C-Sec officer said to him.

"I don't take orders from you," Wrex said to him.

"This is your only warning, Wrex," the officer told him.

"You shoulder warn Fist. I will kill him," Wrex countered.

"You want me to arrest you?" The officer asked.

"I want you to try," Wrex chuckled. He then saw me and started to walk over.

"Go on. Get out of here," the officer said to him. Wrex looked at me.

"Do I know you, human?" He asked me.

"My name's Shepard. I'm going after Fist. Thought you might want to come along," I said to him. Wrex sighed.

"Shepard? Commander Shepard? I've heard a lot about you. We're both warriors, Shepard. Out of respect, I'll give you a fair warning. I'm going to kill Fist," he said to me.

"Fist knows you're coming. We'll have a better chance if we all work together," Garrus told him.

"My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend," Wrex said to me. We shook hands.

"Glad to have you on the team, Wrex," I said to him. Paige smirked.

"Let's go then. Don't want to keep Fist waiting," she said. Wrex chuckled.

"I like this female," he told me. I nodded.

"Looks like everyone she meets does," I mused. We all left then after Garrus went to the ship. We made it back to the club and once we got in, shots were fired. We all took out our guns and began firing. Once everyone was shot down we made it to Fist's office. Fist then started firing at us, Paige was able to shoot the gun out of his hand. She then used her biotics and held him down.

"Wait! Don't kill me! I surrender!" He said to us. I pointed my gun at him.

"Where's the quarian?" I asked him.

"She's not here. I don't know where she is. That's the truth!" He answered.

"He's lying," Paige sang.

"He's no use to you now. Let me kill him," Wrex said to me.

"Wait! Wait! I don't know where the quarian is, but I know where you can find her. The Quarian isn't here. Said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself," he said to us.

"Face to face? Impossible! Even I was hired through an agent," Wrex said. I put my gun down and Fist got up after Paige let him go.

"Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don't know his true identity. But she didn't know that. I told her I'd set a meeting up. But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her," Fist said. Paige glared at him and her body glowed blue.

"Setting her up. Give me the location or give me one good reason I shouldn't bash your head in," she growled. He flinched.

"Here on the wards. The back ally by the markets. She's supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry," he told us. It was then Wrex fired his gun and killed him.

"Are you insane?!" Paige shouted.

"The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him. I don't leave jobs half done," Wrex said.

"We don't shoot unarmed prisoners!" I told him.

"How many people died because of him? He brought this on himself. Besides, we have more pressing concerns," Wrex said.

"That quarian's dead if we don't go now!" Paige said. She was right. We then made our way down to the ally area where the Quarian was supposed to meet Saren's men. Once we got there we saw them.

"Did you bring it?" The turian assassin asked.

"Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?" The quarian asked.

"They'll be here. Where's the evidence?" He asked touching her shoulder and arm. She slapped his and a way.

"No way. The deal's off," she said to him. I saw two salarians coming up. The quarian threw a smoke bomb and we started shooting the turian and salarians. Once they were down we walked up to the quarian. "Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!" She said.

"Where you hurt in the fight?" I asked her.

"I know how to take care of myself. Not that I don't appreciate the help. Who are you?" The quarian asked me.

"My name's Shepard. I'm looking for evidence to prove that Saren's a traitor," I told her.

"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life. But not here. We need to go somewhere safe," The quarian said. Paige nodded.

"We could take her to the embassy. Udina will want to see this anyway," she said. I nodded in agreement. Wrex left for the ship and the rest of us went to see Udina.


	3. The Citadel and Liara T'Soni

**~John~**

When Paige, Tali, and I got to Udina's office, Cameron smiled at his sister who smiled back, they both have the same smiles.

"You're not making my life any easier, Shepard. Firefights in the wards? And all-out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many…" Udina stopped as he saw the quarian. "Who's this? A quarian? What are you up to, Shepard?" He asked me.

"Making your day, Ambassador. She has information linking Saren to the geth," I told him. That caught Cameron's attention and he gave her a small smile.

"Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning, Miss...?" He asked.

"My name is Tali. Tali' Zorah nar Rayya," she answered. He gave a curt nod with a small smile.

"We don't see many quarians here. Why did you leave the flotilla?" Udina asked. Cameron and Paige sent him an annoyed look.

"I was on my Pilgrimage, my right of passage into adulthood," Tali said to him. And curiosity takes over.

"I've never heard of this before," I said to her.

"It is a tradition among my people. When we reach maturity, we leave the ships of our parents and our people behind. Alone, we search the stars, only returning to the flotilla once we have discovered something of value. In this way, we prove ourselves worthy of adulthood," she said.

"What kinds of things do you look for?" Paige asked curiously.

"It could be resources like food or fuel. Or sometime of useful technology. Or even knowledge that will make like easier on the flotilla. Through our Pilgrimage, we prove that we will contribute to the community, rather than being a burden on our limited resources," Tail told her. Paige looked like she was happy she learned knew information.

"Tell us what you found," I said to Tali.

"During my travels I began hearing reports of geth. Since they drove my people into exile, the geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. I was curious. I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit. Then I disabled it and removed its memory core," Tali informed.

"I thought the geth fried their memory cores when they died. Some kind of defense mechanism," Anderson said.

"How did you manage to preserve the memory core?" I asked her.

"My people created the geth. If you're quick, careful, and lucky small caches of data will sometimes be saved. Most of the core was wiped clean. But I savaged something from its audio banks," she said to us. She then brought up her omni-tool.

" _Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit,"_ I heard Saren's voice say. I saw Cameron's fist clench.

"That's Saren's voice. This proves he was involved in the attack!" He stated.

"He said Eden Prime brought him once step closer to finding the Conduit. Any idea what that means?" I asked.

"The Conduit must have something to do with the beacon. Maybe it's some kind of Prothean technology…like a weapon," Anderson said.

"Wait…there's more. Saren wasn't working alone," Tali said. She then replayed the recording.

" _Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit,"_ Saren said.

" _And one step closer to the return of the Reapers,"_ a female voice said.

"I don't recognize that other voice. The one talking about the Reapers," Udina said.

"Are they some kind of new alien species?" I asked.

"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed fifty thousand years ago. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to total extinction, and then they vanished. At least, that's what the geth believe," Tali said.

"Sounds a little far-fetched," Udina said.

"Someone let me use a gun," Marcus and Paige whispered making me smirk. Luckily Udina didn't hear them.

"The vision on Eden Prime—I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being whipped out by the Reapers," I said remembering the vision I received.

"The geth revere the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Saren knows how to bring the Reapers back," Tali said.

"The Council is going to love this," Udina sighed.

"The Reapers are a threat to every species in Citadel space. We have to tell them," I said.

"No matter about what they think about the rest of this, those audio files prove Saren's a traitor," Anderson said.

"The Captain's right. We need to present this to the council right away," Udina said. Paige looked at Tali.

"What about Tali?" She asked. Tali looked at me.

"You saw me in the ally, Commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you," she said to me.

"I thought you were on your Pilgrimage," I said to her.

"The Pilgrimage proves we are willing to give ourselves for the greater good. What does it say about me if I turn my back on this? Saren is a danger to the entire galaxy. My Pilgrimage can wait," she said to me.

"I'll take all the help I can get," I told her.

"Thanks. You won't regret this," she said to me.

"Anderson, Cameron, and I will go on ahead and get things ready with the Council. Take a few minutes of collect yourself, then meet us at the tower," Udina said to us. Hopefully the Council will believe us now.

 **~Paige~**

We were on our way to meet with the Council to report Saren. Finally, that bastard can get a taste of his own medicine. We arrived and saw my brother and Anderson.

"Come on. Udina's presenting the quarian's evidence to the Council," Anderson said. Her name is Tali! As we walked up, we heard the recording. Hopefully this will be enough for the Council to turn Saren in.

"You wanted proof. There it is," Udina said.

"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes," the Turian Councilor told us.

"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren. Matriarch Benezia," the Asari Councilor told us.

"Who's she?" Shepard asked. Man, he is so handsome. How come women aren't forming a line just to get to him? Especially for the amazing blue eyes. Okay…I'm getting ahead of myself here.

"Matriarch's are powerful Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives. Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren," the Asari Councilor answered.

"I'm more interested in the Reapers. What do you know about them?" The Salarian Councilor asked.

"Only what was extracted from the geth's memory core. The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished," Anderson stated.

"The geth believe the Reapers are Gods. And Saren is the prophet for their return," Shepard added.

"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime," Marcus said next. Anderson must have filled him in on everything that happened.

"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" The Salarian Councilor asked.

"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers. That's bad enough," Shepard answered.

"Listen to what you're saying! Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be," the Turian Councilor denied. He just doesn't want to fight for us humans. "Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we'd have found something!" He finished.

"I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to face the truth. Don't make the same mistake again," Shepard said to them.

"This is different. You proved Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he's using the geth to search for the Conduit, but we really don't know why," said the Asari Councilor.

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander. A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the geth to his will," the Salarian Councilor said to him.

"Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!" Shepard argued.

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position," the Turian Councilor said.

"That is not good enough! You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!" Udina ordered.

"A fleet cannot track down one man," the Salarian Councilor told him.

"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the geth from attacking anymore of our colonies," Udina argued.

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems! We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen colonies!" The Turian Councilor said. Bastard, if it were his people we would help!

"I can take down Saren," Shepard said with determination.

"The Commander's right. There is a way to stop Saren that doesn't require fleets or armies," The Asari Councilor agreed.

"No! It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres," The turian said. I clenched my hand into a fist as did my brother. Shepard grabbed my fist gently as a way of saying 'calm down'.

"You don't have to send a fleet into the Traverse, and the Ambassador gets his human Spectre. Everybody's happy," Shepard persuaded. The three Councilors were silent for a moment before pressing something into their computers.

"Commander Shepard-step forward," ordered the Asari Councilor. Shepard stepped forward and people showed up. "It is the decision of the Council that you'll be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," the Asari Councilor said.

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle; those whose actions elevate them above rank and file," said the Salarian Councilor.

"Spectres are ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will," the Asari Councilor said next.

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy are theirs to uphold," added the Turian Councilor added.

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire race," the Asari Councilor finished.

"I'm honored, Councilor," Shepard said bowing his head a little.

"We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him," the Salarian Councilor told him.

"Any idea where I can find him?" Shepard asked.

"We will forward any relevant files to Ambassador Udina," the Turian Councilor said.

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned," the Asari Councilor said. With that, the Councilors left. Shepard looked at us.

"Congratulations, Commander," Anderson shook his hand. Marcus just clapped him on the shoulder.

"We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard. You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies…" Udina listed.

"You'll all get access to special equipment and training now. You should go down to the C-Sec Academy and speak to the Spectre requisitions officer," Marcus told Shepard.

"Anderson, Cameron, come with me. I'll need your help to set all this up," Udina said to the Captains. Marcus kissed my head before leaving with the other two. I sighed.

"Those bastards didn't even thank you. Does anyone learn manners anymore?" I crossed my arms. Shepard gave me a small smile.

"Until I find Saren, I haven't done anything. Come on," he said to us.

"Ready when you are, mate," I said. With that we got going. We checked out the equipment then made our way to the Normandy. There we saw Anderson, Marcus, and Udina.

"I've got big news for you, Shepard. Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now," Udina said.

"She's quick and quiet and you know the crew. Perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, Commander," Anderson said.

"This isn't right! The Normandy belongs to you!" Shepard said to him. Just what I was thinking…forced retirement.

"You needed your own ship. A Spectre can't answer to anyone but the Council. And it's time for me to step down," Anderson told him.

"Come clean with me, Captain. You owe me that much," Shepard said.

"I was in your shoes twenty years ago, Shepard. They were considering me and Marcus for the Spectres," Anderson said.

"What happened?" I asked looking at Marcus.

"We failed. We couldn't make the cut. It's not something we're proud of," he answered me.

"Ask me later and I'll tell you the whole story. For now, all you need to know is Marcus and I were sent on a mission with Saren, and he made sure the Council rejected us. We had our shot. It came and went. Now you have a chance to make up for our mistakes," Anderson said next.

"I won't let you down, sir," Shepard said to him.

"Saren's gone. Don't even try to find him. But we know what he's after: the Conduit. He's got his geth scouring the Traverse looking for clues," Marcus told us.

"We had reports of geth in the Feros system shortly before our colony there dropped out of contact. And there have been sightings in around Noveria," Udina said next.

"Find out what Saren was after on Feros and Noveria. Maybe you can figure out where the Conduit is before he does," Anderson said.

"The Reapers are the real threat," Shepard said.

"I'm with the Council on this one, Shepard. I'm not sure they even exist," Udina said. Marcus and I rolled our eyes like we were expecting this from him.

"But if they do exist, the Conduit's the key to bringing them back. Stop Saren from getting the Conduit and we stop the Reapers from returning," Anderson said.

"I'll stop him," Shepard said with determination in his voice.

"We have one more lead. Matriarch Benezia, the other voice on that recording? She has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the Protheans. We don't know if she's involved but it might be a good idea to try and find her. See what she knows. Her name is Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. We have reports that she was exploring and archeological dig on one of the uncharted worlds in the Artemis Tau Cluster," Udina informed. I looked at Shepard.

"It might be a good idea to start there. That way we can have more help and gain more information quickly," I said to him. He nodded in agreement.

"It's your decision, Commander. You're a Spectre now. You don't answer to us," Marcus said to him.

"But your actions still reflect on humanity as a whole. You make a mess and I get stuck cleaning it up," Udina stated.

"I'll try not to make things any harder on you, Ambassador," Shepard told him.

"Glad to hear it, Commander. Remember: You were a human long before you were a Spectre. I have a meeting to get to. Captain Anderson and Captain Cameron can answer any questions you might have," Udina said before leaving. Marcus pulled me to the side.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Paige?" He asked me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Am I sure that I want to bring Saren down while going on a wild adventure?" I asked making it obvious. He chuckled.

"Right, stupid question. Just make sure to call in whenever you can. You don't want to worry me and Russell," he said to me. I nodded before we hugged and went our separate ways. It was then I saw Shepard walk into the ship and I followed. I nodded to Shepard smiling before I went to find a room I would be staying in. Once I did, I changed out of my armor and went and stood by Ashely, Garrus, and Wrex.

" _This is Commander Shepard speaking. We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you, crew. This mission isn't going to be easy. For too long our species has stood apart from the others. Now it's time for us to step up and do our part for the rest of the galaxy! Time to show them what humans are made of! Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them, too. Humanity needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all…we will stop him!"_ Shepard said over the com. I smiled…he can be an inspiration for humanity…and every other species if they are willing to listen. I made my way to my room and looked over my weapons. A few minutes later, someone knocked at the door.

"Come in!" I called. Shepard walked in and I smiled. "Hello, Shepard. What can I help you with?" I asked him. He shrugged as he leaned against the wall.

"Just thought I would get to know my new crew members," he said to me. I smirked.

"And what about me do you want to know?" I asked.

"Have you always wanted to be in the military?" He asked.

"Yes, I always loved to do the right thing. I thought serving my race through the Alliance would do that. I knew C-Sec wouldn't cut it for the action bit though," I said to him.

"Considering how far you've come, you must do your job well," he said to me. I chuckled.

"I try, but I could say the same for you. I mean, you're only a year older than me and you're already a Commander," I told him. He nodded with a small smile.

"What about your family?" He asked.

"Well, you already know Marcus, he's thirty eight and a Captain. Then there's Russell, he's twenty five and a Lieutenant," I stated.

"What about your parents?" He asked curiously. I frowned.

"They died when I was fifteen. Marcus took me and Russell in after they died," I told him. He frowned too.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said softly. I nodded with a small smile.

"Thanks. I was happy to know that they died as heroes, that's a good thing. They were trying to take down a group called Cerberus. Undercover work actually. Somehow they got caught and were shot on sight," I explained.

"I can see why you would be proud. They died working to protect everyone," he said. I nodded with the same small smile.

"It's the same way I would hope to die. I would like to die either protecting everyone or protecting my loved ones. Otherwise my death would just be worthless," I sighed. Shepard placed a hand on my shoulder.

"It wouldn't be worthless, Paige. With everything you've done, it wouldn't be worthless. Marcus gave me your file to show me your accomplishments, I was majorly impressed," he said to me. I blushed a little, but smiled.

"I guess you would either read about it or hear it. Good, I suck at trying to verbally impress people," I said to him. He chuckled before he walked to the door.

"I find that hard to believe," he said to me. He stopped at the door and looked at me. "Oh, and call me John," he said to me. I nodded and he left. Once he was gone, I grinned. I feel like a silly school girl with a crush! We were on our way to Therum to find Liara T'Soni, hopefully she hasn't followed in her mother's footsteps. Once we landed, John looked at us. "Tali, Paige, you two can come with me," he said. I nodded with Tali and got ready. We had to get to the site by MAKO, when we were about forty meters away, we walked on foot. We had to fight geth along the way, but I didn't mind it completely. We soon reached the dig and ran into another fight, this time with an Armature. Once that thing and the rest of the geth were gone we walked into the building area. Once we were in deep enough, we heard a female voice.

"Uh…hello? Could somebody help me? Please?" The girl asked. We then saw a blue force field and an asari inside, no doubt Liara T'Soni. "Can you hear me out there? I am trapped! I need help!" Liara said.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" John asked.

"Listen. This thing I am in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it. All right?" She asked.

"Your mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?" John asked her.

"What? I am not on anybody's side! I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years. Please. Just get me out of here," Liara pleaded.

"We just need to figure out some way past this energy field," John said.

"It's a Prothean barrier curtain. I knew it would keep me safe from the geth. When I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn't supposed to. I was trapped in here. You must get me out. Please," she said to us.

"We'll find some way to help you," John assured her.

"There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing. You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here. Be careful. There is a krogan with the geth. They have been trying different ways to get passed the barrier," Liara informed. We managed to find a way in, thank god. We got onto the elevator and made our way up to Liara. "How…how did you get in here? I didn't think there was a way past the barrier," she said.

"We have to get you out of here before more geth arrive," John told her.

"Yes, you're right. I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime. That button should shut down my containment field," Liara said. I walked over to the computer and helped her down. She landed on her knees obviously exhausted. I looked at her.

"Is there a way to get out of here?" I asked her.

"There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least, I think it's an elevator. It should take us out of here. Come on!" Liara motioned for us to follow. We got on the elevator and she looked at us. "I—I still cannot believe all of this. Why would the geth come after me? Do you think Benezia's involved?" Liara asked.

"Saren's looking for the Conduit. You're a Prothean expert. He probably wants you to help him find it," Tali told her.

"The Conduit? But I don't know…" Liara was cut off by a small jolt from the elevator. We then heard rumbling. I looked up cautiously.

"What the hell was that?" I asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"These ruins aren't stable. That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event," Liara said.

"Well, that's just dandy," I muttered sarcastically.

"We have to hurry. The whole place is caving in!" Liara said typing something into the computer. John pressed a finger to his earpiece.

"Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal. On the double, mister!" John ordered.

" _Aye, aye, Commander. Secure and aweigh. ETA eight minutes_ ," Joker told him.

"He needs to move faster," Tali said.

"That boy better move quick or I'll make his life living hell when I haunt him!" I stated. I then saw John crack a small smile at that. It was then the elevator started moving. We made it to the sop and saw four geth and a krogan…just great.

"Surrender. Or don't. That would be more fun," said the krogan Battlemaster.

"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart," John glared.

"Exhilarating, isn't it? Thanks for getting rid of those energy fields for us. Hand the doctor over," the krogan Battlemaster demanded.

"Whatever it is you want, you're not getting it from me," Liara refused.

"She'll stay with us, thanks," John agreed. The krogan shook his head.

"Not an option. Saren wants her. And he always gets what he wants. Kill them. Spare the asari if you can. If not, doesn't matter," he said to the geth. I took out my pistol and began shooting the geth. I noticed the walls beginning to collapse and I looked at John.

"We need to get out of here!" I told him. He nodded and we all ran out of the wall collapsing hole. We were able to make it out and I went to Com Room where everyone else was. I took a seat next to Kaidan who was on my right. John was standing on my left.

" _Too close, Commander. Ten more seconds and we would have been swimming and molten Sulphur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference,"_ Joker…well, joked.

"We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" Liara asked kinda annoyed.

"Joker pulled our asses out of there. I think he's earned the right to a few bad jokes," John told her. I nodded.

"Besides, the Normandy is his baby," I added.

"I see. It must be a human thing. I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander. But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there. And not just from the volcano. Those geth would have killed me. Or dragged me off to Saren," Liara said. Gee, you're welcome. It's not like Tali and I didn't help you too!

"What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?" Kaidan asked her.

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the last fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them," Liara said.

"I've got my own theory about why the Protheans disappeared," John told her.

"With all due respect, Commander, I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left remarkably little behind. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It's like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part. According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them," Liara said.

"Where'd you come up with this theory? I thought there wasn't any evidence," John said to her.

"I have been working on this for fifty years. I have tracked down every scrap and shred of evidence. Eventually, subtle patterns start to emerge. Patterns that hint at the truth. It is difficult to explain to someone else. I cannot point to one specific thing to prove my case. It is more a feeling derived from a half-century of dedicated research. But I know I'm right. And eventually, I will be able to prove it. There were other civilizations before the Protheans. This cycle has repeated itself many times over," Liara informed.

"If the Protheans weren't the first, then who was?" John asked.

"I don't know. There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory. But I know I am right! The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruin survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before. Their greatest achievements—the mass relays and the Citadel—are based on technology of those who came before them. And then, like all other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why," Liara informed us.

"They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers," John told her.

"The—the Reapers? But I have never heard of—how do you know this? What evidence do you have?" Liara asked him.

"There was a damage Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. It burned a vision into my brain. I'm still trying to sort out what it all means," John explained.

"Visions? Yes…that makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the geth attacked Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon—even a badly damaged one—is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed you were able to make sense of it at all. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkable strong-willed, Commander," Liara said. It almost sounds like she's flirting with him!

"Okay, this isn't helping us find Saren. Or the Conduit," I stated a little irritated. Though I love to learn new things about the galaxy…I don't want to hear it from an asari who's hitting on our Commander. Ashely nodded in agreement with me, but for another reason.

"Of course. You are right. My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that will help you find the Conduit. Or Saren," Liara said.

"I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture. But I think we'll be a lot better off if we bring you along," John told her.

"Thank you, Commander. Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on," Liara said.

"And her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts," Wrex said. John gave her a small smile.

"Great to have you on the team, Liara," he told her.

"Thank you, Commander. I am very gratef—whoa. I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit light-headed," Liara said.

"When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you," Kaidan said to her.

"It is probably just mental exhaustion, couple with utter shock of discovering the Protheans' true fate. I need some time to process all this. Still, it could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me a chance to think things over. Are we finished here, Commander?" Liara asked.

"We can talk again after you've seen the doctor. The rest of you…dismissed!" John ordered. I sighed and stood up. I then left and went to my room. This has been one hectic day.


	4. Feros Zhu's Hope

**~Paige~**

I was now in my room looking at a photo of me and my brothers. God, I miss them. I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in!" I called. The door opened and I saw Kaidan. "Hey, Kaidan. What's up?" I asked him. He walked in and took a seat in the chair.

"You seemed a little irritated when we had to talk with Liara. Are you okay?" Kaidan asked, concern showing. I gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine. What made you think anything was wrong?" I asked him. He raised an eyebrow.

"The way you looked like you wanted to rip Liara's head off," he answered simply. I frowned.

"I did not!" I denied. He gave me a look. "Okay, maybe I did…she was practically flirting with him. 'You must be remarkably strong-willed, Commander.' 'I cannot think of anywhere safer than on _your_ ship.' Not really professional if you ask me," I crossed my arms. Kaidan chuckled.

"Paige, do you have a crush on the Commander?" He asked me. I blushed furiously and let my hair cover it up before I turned.

"No way! That's insane! I only just met the guy! How I can I have a crush on him if I've only just met him?!" I asked. I heard Kaidan walk up and he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"There's nothing wrong with a crush. Just don't let it get to you where you feel the need to rip Liara's head off," he told me. I chuckled.

"I'll try. Do you have a crush, Kaidan?" I smirked looking at him. He blushed a little.

"D-don't change the subject!" He told me. I let out a small chuckle.

"It's not like I'm going to tell anyone. I promise, mate," I said to him. He shook his head and sighed.

"It's not that, it's just…I don't really know if it's even a crush," he said to me. I knew he was lying, but I didn't want to push him. I nodded.

"Okay. But whoever it is, is lucky," I said to him. He raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" he asked me. I smiled.

"You're a sweet guy, Kaidan. You have compassion, you're smart, considerate, and no doubt know a thing or two about romance. That's what a girl looks for in a man. Unless they're a slut then they just want sex," I half-heartedly joked, half serious. Kaidan chuckled.

"Thanks, Paige. I better get back to my station. I just thought I would check on you," he said to me. I nodded at him with a smile.

"No problem. I'll see you later, mate," I said to him. He nodded and walked out. I started cleaning and looking over my guns when I heard another knock. "Who is it now? Come in!" I called. The door opened but I didn't turn around.

"Thought I would come and see how you're doing," I heard a strong voice say…John.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said to him. He sighed.

"You seemed a little irritated early," he told me. Man…I was hoping he didn't catch that.

"Where are we heading next?" I asked hoping to change the subject.

"Feros. Stay on topic, Paige," John said to me.

"Look, it's nothing. My shoulder was just bugging me a little," I half lied.

"Alright…we're almost to Feros. And just so you know…I'm not interested in Liara," I heard him say. My eyes widened a little before I turned and saw him with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked playing dumb. Please don't tell me he…

"I heard your conversation with Kaidan when I came to check on you. Sorry," he said to me. I blushed.

"These walls should really be soundproof," I muttered. He chuckled.

"So…you have a crush on me?" He asked with a smirk.

"I don't remember saying I did. I remember asking Kaidan about his crush," I told him. He raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't really answer my question, Paige," he said to me. Joker…help me!

" _Commander, we have landed in Feros,"_ Joker said over the com. Thank you, Joker! John let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm on my way," John told him. John then looked at me. "When we get back, we're finishing this discussion," he told me. He then left and I sighed of relief.

"Thank you, Joker," I said. I then went down to the lower deck and got ready. Garrus and I then followed John off the Normandy. After we walked off, we walked over to a man who stopped us.

"We saw your ship. Fai Dan wants to speak with you immediately," the man said to us.

"Who's Fai Dan?" John asked him.

"He's our leader. He needs your help to prepare for the geth. They're making another push. Please. Up the stairs passed the freighter," the man told us. Its then geth started attacking and the guy who talked to us died. I took cover with John while Garrus took cover close by. I grabbed my assault rifle and shot at the geth. I got two of them as John and Garrus got a few of the others.

"They're not very subtle, are they?" I asked John. He shook his head.

"No, no they're not," he replied. We got moving then and made it to some stairs where we saw two geth stalkers. We shot at them, managing to kill them. After we made it up some stairs, we found the rest of the colony. They let us pass and we made our way to see Fai Dan. We did find him talking with a woman.

"Oh, Commander. I'm glad they finally sent somebody to help us," Fai Dan said to John.

"You're a bit late, aren't you?" The woman asked with an attitude.

"Arcelia!" Fai Dan scowled at her. He turned back to us. "Sorry, Commander. Everyone's on edge since-," Fai Dan was cut off by the sound of geth.

"Watch out! We've got geth in the tower!" Arcelia warned.

"Protect the heart of the colony!" Fai Dan ordered. We took cover and began shoot down the geth. Once they were down, we decided to take a look in the tower and ran into more geth which we took down.

"Can't these geth take a bloody hint?!" I growled shooting.

"You're telling me! You'd think they'd learn right about now!" Garrus agreed. Thankfully we finished off the geth. They're ship left the area.

"Now that the geth are down, we should get back to Fai Dan," I told John. He nodded to me and we made our way out of the tower. When out, we saw Fai Dan talking with Arcelia.

"The tower's secure. Thanks to you, Commander," Fai Dan said as he saw us.

"I'm just glad your colony is safe," John replied.

"I appreciate your concern…and your efforts against the geth," Fai Dan said.

"They may have been slowed, but they'll be back. They always come back," Arcelia stated.

"Help me find what the geth are after and you'll all get out of here alive," John told her.

"We don't know what they're after. They came, they attacked us. That's all we know. Their main base is at the ExoGeni headquarters. A good place to start looking if you want answers," Fai Dan informed. I raised an eyebrow.

"What's ExoGeni?" I asked curious.

"It's the company most of us worked for before the attacks. They fund this colony. The skyway leads directly to ExoGeni headquarters. You can't miss it," Arcelia answered. I gave a nod in thanks.

"Of course, there's an army of geth between here and there," Fai Dan added.

"I didn't expect this would be easy," John retorted.

"Then maybe I can get this colony operational again," Fai Dan said hoping.

"We'll get going then," John told him.

"Good luck, Commander," Fai Dan wished before we left. We made our way up the tower and to the skyway. Of course we helped two people against geth assault drones. Once done, we got in the Mako.

"Alright, time to head to the geth base," I muttered to myself. John started driving and I kept an eye out with Garrus. We saw a geth ship fly by dropping off some geth and armatures.

 _"The last batch went south. What are they looking for?"_ A woman over the radio asked.

"That's come kind of com signal. It's too weak to pinpoint, but there is definitely someone out here," I told John. He nodded as he drove. Garrus used the gun on the Mako to take the geth down.

" _She's my daughter. I'll wait as long as I have to,"_ the woman said on the comm. After we took down the geth we made it to a new area. " _We've got movement…some kind of vehicle. Not one of the geth."_

"Sounds like they've spotted us. They must be close," I mused.

"Forget them. We need to deal with the geth," Garrus told us.

"These people could help us out with that, Garrus," I pointed out. He sighed knowing I was right. We got out of the Mako and made our way down the hall where the people were.

"That's close enough!" A man said wanting to keep us a little bit away.

"Relax, Jeong. They're obviously not geth," the woman said sounding annoyed.

"Get back, Juliana. Who are you? What do you want?" Jeong asked us, obviously paranoid.

"Commander Shepard. I'm here to remove your geth problem," John replied.

"You see? You worry too much," Juliana told Jeong.

"And you trust too easily, Juliana," Jeong retorted.

"I'm just glad to see a friendly face. I thought we were the only humans left on this planet," Juliana said.

"Fai dan and some of the members of Zhu's Hope are still alive," John stated.

"I thought you said they were all dead," Juliana glared at Jeong.

"I said they were 'probably' all dead," Jeong replied.

"They're not dead. But the geth have really pounded them," I told them.

"We know what that's like. Those damn synthetics are relentless," Juliana stated. I nodded in agreement.

"I'll do whatever I can to keep them away from you. But I need some information," John said to her.

"What kind of information?" Jeong asked paranoid.

"Ignore him. The geth are up in the ExoGeni headquarters. Just a bit further along the skyway," Juliana told us.

"Those headquarters are private property, soldier. Remove the geth and nothing else," Jeong told us. My eyes narrowed, he seems a little suspicious to me.

"I'm not interested in your company secrets," John assured.

"Commander, before you go…My daughter, Lizbeth. She's missing…" Juliana told us.

"They shouldn't waste time poking around. We can do a proper accounting of our casualties after the geth are gone," Jeong told her. I glared, he really is a pain in the ass.

"That's my daughter you're talking about! She's still alive. I know it," Juliana stated.

"Where is your daughter, Juliana?" John asked her. I smiled a little. He is full of surprises. Not many people would put something on hold to help with a personal problem.

"She was working in the ExoGeni building when the attacks came," Juliana informed.

"Oh, yeah! There are several places she could hide. For a short time," Jeong said not really caring.

"If she's in there, I'll get her out," John promised.

"Thank you, Commander. Thank you," Juliana said in relief.

"How did you get split up from the Zhu's Hope colony?" I asked.

"Most of us lived closer to the ExoGeni building. Zhu's Hope was mostly used as a port. When the geth hit, we scattered. Until you told us about the others, we assumed they were killed in the first wave. If we had known they were still alive, we might have attempted to join them," Juliana answered.

"They're fairly secure now. Maybe you should do that," John suggested.

"No, no, no, no. I don't think that's a good idea. We-we have no vehicles and the skyway offers little protection," Jeong refused.

"Like the building we're in now?" Juliana retorted.

"Listen, our best hope is to sit tight and wait for company reinforcements. They'll come eventually," Jeong told her.

"Stay bunkered down until I find out what the geth are after," John told them.

"Of course. And please remember, if you see my daughter…" Juliana trailed off. I smiled at her.

"We'll find her. Promise," I told her. She nodded to me in thanks and we left. We got back in the Mako and made our way to the ExoGeni building. There was a little radio chatter we heard. We soon reached a building and got out of the Mako, walking from there. Some more geth appeared and we took them down. "These geth don't need much of an invitation to move in, do they?" I asked.

"They must want something from the ExoGeni systems. Why else would they bother with all of this?" Garrus asked.

"The only thing we can do is find out what they want," I said shooting down one last geth. We to go down a one way drop. Once we looked around a little, we saw a dead varren on the ground. Someone shot a gun and we ducked.

"Damn it!" We heard. John and I aimed our guns and saw a woman. She lowered her gun. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were geth, or one of those varren," the woman said to us.

"You're safe now. But why were you here in the first place?" John asked her.

"It's my own fault. Everyone else was running and I stayed to back up data. Next thing I knew, the geth ship latched on and the power went out. I was trapped. I tried to get out, but the way was blocked," the woman explained.

"We'll get you out as soon as we find out what the geth are after," John promised.

"It's not the geth, it's the energy field they put up. They don't want anyone else getting access to the-," the woman paused.

"I'm here for the geth. It's very important that I find out what they're after," John persuaded.

"I don't know for certain, but I'm guessing they're here for the Thorian," she answered.

"What's a Thorian?" Garrus asked curious. I was interested to know as well.

"It's an indigenous life-form. ExoGeni was studying it," she explained.

"Interesting," I mused.

"What else can you tell me? Do you know where I can find this Thorian?" John asked her.

"I might be able to, but not with those geth crawling around everywhere. Look, we need to get out of here, past that field," the woman told us.

"Do you know how we can shut it down?" John asked.

"No, not exactly. But I think the geth ship is powering it. I've noticed the geth laying power cables everywhere. You could follow those cables, but there's geth all over the place," she answered.

"Tell me what you know about the Thorian," John said to her.

"I really don't know that much about it. I think it's some kind of plant being. I know it's very old. Thousands of years, even," she told us.

"Why do you think the geth would be interested in the Thorian?" I asked her.

"It's just a plant. I don't know why the geth would care. ExoGeni was studying it, but I don't think they found anything special," she answered.

"Tell me about yourself," John said to her.

"I'm just a research assistant for ExoGeni. I came her with my mother. I don't even know if she made it out alive," she said. I smiled a little. This is Lizbeth.

"She's with some others from the colony. She's safe for now," John told her.

"She's alive? Thank god. I thought I was the only one left. Please, Commander. Just get that field down so I can see my mother again," Lizbeth pleaded.

"You stay put. I'll go open some doors," John said.

"Here, take my ID. This should get you past any locked doors. Good luck with that field," Lizbeth said to us. We all got going and found a door way in the back. We all walked in being cautious of any geth that might be lurking around.

"Stupid machine! Access encrypted files!" We heard a deep voice demand. "No, I don't want to review protocol!" We looked down the hall after making it up some stairs. It was a krogan.

"I am unable to comply. Please contact your supervisor," the VI said.

"Damn it. Tell me what I want or I'll blast your virtual ass into actual dust!" The krogan said. I looked at the guys and did a motion that said he was crazy. They both smirked in agreement.

"Please contact your supervisor for a Level 4 security exemption or make an appointment with-," the VI tried to say.

"Stupid machine!" The krogan growled.

"If there is nothing else, please step aside. There is a queue forming behind you for the use of this console," the VI said.

"Oh good. I really need to kill something!" The krogan said as he grabbed his gun.

"Like you'll get the chance!" I retorted shooting. We shot him down and he was dead. We walked up to the VI.

"ExoGeni Corporation reminds all staff that the discharging of weapons while on company property is strictly forbidden. Welcome back, Research Assistant Elizabeth Baynham. What can I do for you?" The VI asked.

"Uh, how do you know I'm Lizbeth?" John asked curious.

"Your access card identifies you as Elizabeth Baynham. Is there something you requite, Dr. Baynham?" VI asked.

"What information was the last user attempting access to?" John asked.

"Fetching data. The previous user was attempting to access details on the study of Subject Species 37, the Thorian," VI answered.

"Tell me everything you told the krogan," John ordered.

"I was unable to provide the previous user with any relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there has no new data available on Species 37. All sensors monitoring the observation posts at Zhu's Hope have been inactive for several cycles," VI explained. This made me more curious.

"What does Zhu's Hope have to do with the Thorian?" John asked.

"Species 37 is located within the substructure of Zhu's Hope outpost," VI answered.

"This is what Saren wants," I mused. The Commander agreed.

"Tell me everything you know about the Thorian," John ordered.

"The Thorian is a simple plant life-form that exhibits a sentient behavior uncommon with other flora. Through dispersion and the eventual inhalation of spores, it can infect and control other organisms, including humans. The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Before sensors went offline, almost 85% of all test subjects were infected," VI explained.

"Are you saying ExoGeni knew its people were getting infected?" I asked surprised.

"It was deemed necessary to access the true potential of Species 37," VI answered.

"So that's why they were acting weird," I mused.

"You should contact Joker," Garrus suggested. John touched his ear piece.

"Joker. Come in, Joker. Damn it. That field's blocking us," John cursed.

"We need to drop that field and get back to Zhu's Hope," I said to him. He nodded in agreement.

"VI, what can you tell me about the geth ship and the field its generating?" John asked.

"I have limited data on the geth. They have effectively blocked all sensors within the facility. I have detected unusual power fluctuations, but am unable to determine the source," VI answered.

"Please access 'my' personal files," John ordered.

"Elizabeth Baynham, Research Assistant, Bio-Medical Division. Security Level 4 exemption. You are currently under probation due to disagreements with management over established company policy. These sanctions may be lifted if your next evaluation is more agreeable," VI said.

"What triggered the probation?" John asked curious.

"You were marked as 'combative' about the operations of the Zhu's Hope project, specifically regarding the handling of the infected colonists. As a result, you were tasked with monitoring the safety of the colonists for the duration of the observation," VI answered.

"Tell me about the Thorian," John ordered.

"Species 37 was discovered several weeks ago when a small team was infected with spores while examining ruins near the Zhu's Hope outpost. The outpost was quarantined immediately and the studying of the infection began. Within 21 days, 58% of colonists exhibited altered behavior. Within 28 days, 85%," VI answered.

"Do you know how the creature controls its slaves?" John asked.

"The will-subversion manifests as intense pain if directives are ignored. The effect is severe enough that subjects are soon conditioned against even minor thoughts of rebellion. Observation suggests the Thorian views its thralls in a utilitarian way. Care is apparently taken to avoid injuring them, much as a craftsman avoids damaging his tools. As long as no action is taken against the creature's objectives, the subjects are free to pantomime a normal existence until specifically tasked with something," VI informed.

"What is the size of this thing?" John asked.

"The Thorian appears to be a diffused creature. Its cognitive abilities are centered in large nerve bundles, but it receives data from kilometers of meandering tendrils. We have discovered bundles approximately one meter in diameter, but these seem insufficient to coordinate the massive sensory potential it possesses. It may simply possess such simulation slowly, or perhaps there is a nerve cluster of a greater magnitude we have not yet encountered," VI explained.

"Where is the center of this thing?" John asked next.

"The Thorian is present as a weave of tendrils across much of the lower surface of Feros. Observation of enslaved subjects suggests there may by key clusters that are tended by thralls. Unfortunately, direct observation of Species 37 is limited or non-existent," VI answered.

"That's enough for now," John told the VI who then went into standby mode. We left and looked around and took down two geth that were by this orb of light. We then saw the ship.

"The geth must have anchored their ship to the side of the building with these claws," Garrus observed.

"Subtle as a boot to the face. How do we cut the power if it's coming from the ship?" I asked.

"Could the ship be dislodged? Maybe there's a flaw in one of the other claws we could exploit," Garrus suggested.

"It's worth a shot," I said.

"Let's find out," John said agreeing. We walked up to the glowing orb.

"This place seems almost peaceful. Do you think the geth were using this room as some kind of religious temple?" Garrus asked.

"Well, if they're looking for God, I'd be happy to speed them on their way," I retorted. We made our way away from the area and to a new one. We made it to one of the rooms and were attacked by three krogan which we shot down successfully. I grabbed some data from the terminal and we left that area. After climbing a few stairs we reached another area that was crowded with geth. "These bastards are lucky their easy to kill," I muttered finishing the last geth off. I grabbed more data from another terminal before we went up the stairs and saw another claw. "Just like the other one. We don't have the teeth to tear this out. We should keep looking," I told them. I looked down the stairs. "Such as there," I pointed. Unfortunately there were some more geth. We shot them down quickly and looked around. "This looks like a containment lab," I mused.

"It may be helpful. If we can dislodge even one claw the ship may fall," Garrus said. I walked up to the Shuttle Bay Door Control.

"Think you can activate it?" John asked me. I nodded.

"Yes, I just have to work those valves and get the PSI to at least 30," I said to him. I walked to the valves. Okay, PSI valve 13, PSI valve 11, and PSI valve 7. Once I activated them, I pressed confirm on the panel. With that, the claw he had just passed was broken off. It's then the geth ship fell from the building.

"Great work, LC," John praised. I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Commander," I replied. I then looked at where the claw had been. "The doors will open now and we can go deal with that Thorian thing. Damn. I would have love to have seen the face on their pilot when that thing toppled," I smirked. John chuckled a little.

"Keep your guard up. There still might be a few geth inside the base," Garrus said to us.

" _I repeat, Normandy to shore party. Are you reading? Anyone there? Normandy to shore party. Come on, Commander, talk to me!"_ We heard Joker over our comms. John touched his.

"Is that you, Joker? What's going on over there?" John asked.

" _We're in lock down here, Commander. Something happened to the colonists. They're banging on the hull, trying to claw their way inside the ship. They're freaking out!"_ Joker told us.

"They can't do any real damage. We're on our way back. Just hold your position," John told him.

" _Uh…yeah. Okay. Well, we'll just wait right here for you, Commander,"_ Joker replied.

"This place will be crawling with geth in a minute. Keep together and we'll get out of here in one piece," John said to me and Garrus. Garrus and I nodded in agreement and we all left the area to make our way back to Lizbeth. She was standing at the exit thankfully.

"There you are! We should get out of here. I don't think this place is safe," Lizbeth said.

"I need some answers. You knew more about the Thorian than you let on," John stated.

"I-I was afraid. I wanted to stop the tests, but they threatened me, told me I'd be next. When the geth attacked, I stayed behind to send a message to Colonial Affairs. I tried to tell them where to find the Thorian, but the power cut before I could send the message. I-I never meant for this to happen," Lizbeth said. She sounds sincere, so she's not lying at all.

"You did what you could. I'll help them if you can tell me where to find the Thorian," John told her.

"The Thorian is underneath Zhu's Hope, but the entrance is blocked. The colonists covered it with the freighter just before the geth attacked," Lizbeth replied.

"But why are the geth after the Thorian? What could Saren want with it?" I asked.

"Well, it does have unique mind-controlling capabilities. That's what ExoGeni was interested in," Lizbeth answered.

" _Normandy to shore party. Come in,"_ Joker said over our comms.

"What is it, Joker?" John asked touching his comm.

" _We're getting a lot of geth comm chatter. Looks like they're heading your way,"_ Joker warned.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Joker. You heard the man; let's move out," John said to me and Garrus.

"I'm coming with you. I might be able to help. Undo the mess I helped create," Lizbeth said to us. We nodded and made our way to the Mako.


	5. Feros Zhu's Hope Part Two

**~Paige~**

We had to take down some more armatures and geth along the way until we were close to where Juliana and the others were.

" _…anybody. Is there anybody picking this up?"_ The radio sounded.

" _Get away from that radio!"_ We heard next.

"What was that all about?" Lizbeth asked.

"That's what I want to know," I murmured.

"… _this is Juliana Baynham of Feros colony. Please help us…"_ Juliana said over the radio.

"That's my mom. Stop. Stop the rover!" Lizbeth said as we got to where Juliana was. She got out and ran to the hideout. We followed behind. We hid once we saw something going on.

"You can't do this, Jeong!" Juliana glared.

"Everyone shut up! Let me think!" Jeong shouted.

"What's going on?" Lizbeth whispered to us.

"You won't get away with this," Juliana said as a man walked up and grabbed her.

"Get her out of here!" Jeong ordered.

"Get away from her, you son of a bitch!" Lizbeth growled running out. We tried to stop her, but it was too late.

"Lizbeth!" Juliana broke free of the man's hold and ran to her daughter.

"Damn it! Come out here where I can see you! All of you!" Jeong called over. I sighed and we came into view. "Hah, Shepard. Damn it! I knew it was too much to hope the geth would kill you. I found some interesting facts about you in the ExoGeni database. I know what happened on Akuze. This doesn't have to end like that," Jeong told him.

"We can talk this out. Nobody needs to get hurt," John said trying to keep Jeong calm.

"You don't understand. It's not that easy. Communications are back up. ExoGeni wants this place purged," Jeong said.

"This is a human colony, Jeong. You can't just re-purpose us," Lizbeth glared.

"It's not just you. There's something here far more valuable than a few colonists," Jeong said. I glared and crossed my arms.

"You're after the one unique thing Feros has: the Thorian," I stated.

"The what?" Juliana asked confused.

"It's a telepathic life-form living under Zhu's Hope. It's taking control of the colonists there. ExoGeni knew all along," Lizbeth told her mother.

"You won't get away with this, Jeong," Juliana glared at Jeong.

"So you keep saying. But nobody's going to miss a few colonists," Jeong said to her.

"Can't you see the inherent potential in this colony? Think of the promotional opportunities!" John told him. I see where he's going with this. A way to stop Jeong from trying to kill everyone and from us having to stop him.

"Opportunities? What the hell are you talking about?" Jeong asked.

"They were recovered from an alien attack on a frontier world. Add that to your company profile," John told him.

"Well, yeah. No one's ever gone broke playing the 'champion of humanity' card," Jeong said.

"Sadly, you'd probably make a killing. But if it will let us get back to our lives, I'm for it," Juliana agreed.

"It just might work. Wait, no, but the infected colonists will throw a bit of a wrench in that plan. No, no. They need to disappear," Jeong said.

"You can't just kill the colonists. It's not their fault," Juliana glared at him.

"If you kill the Thorian, it might be enough to stop the infection. Maybe," Lizbeth suggested.

"It's worth a try, but I don't know if I can avoid harming the colonists," John told her.

"There has to be another way," Lizbeth said desperate to help the others.

"Maybe there is. I'm glad you've decided to help us. I think there's a way to avoid killing the colonists," Juliana told John.

"What did you have in mind?" John asked her.

"I think you could safely use a nerve agent to neutralize the colonists," Juliana said.

"Like a gas grenade," Lizbeth agreed.

"Releasing clouds of nerve gas doesn't seem like a particularly good idea," John said hesitant.

"It's not like its weapon-grade. The insecticide we use in the gro-labs contains trace amounts of Tetraclopine, a neuromuscular degenerator. If their nervous systems are already weakened, it may act as a paralyzing agent," Juliana explained.

"It's dodgy, but it just might work," I said to John.

"Sounds good. I'll do what I can," John replied to Juliana.

"Excellent. Thank you so much, Commander," Juliana said relieved.

"We'll stay out of your way until you clear a path. Good luck," Lizbeth said to us. We got the grenades and made our way out. Once in the Mako we drove across the skyway to make it back to Zhu's Hope. When we reached the door, we got out of the Mako to see some kind of creature in front of it. We shot it down till it was dead.

"What the bloody hell was that? There was no way that was human, infection or no," I said to John and Garrus.

"No hitting the colonists, even if the Thorian makes them fire on us. That's what the gas grenades are for," John told us.

"Ready when you are, Commander. Let's go for it," I told him. We then made our way in, knocking colonists out and killing Thorian Creepers. It wasn't easy with the grenades considering we didn't have that many. We cleared Zhu's Hope of the Thorian Creepers and made sure all the colonists were saved. I walked over to the Freighter Crane Controls and lifted the freighter. We were making our way over to the entryway when John turned pointing his gun. I looked over and saw Fai Dan.

"I tried to fight it, but it gets in your head. You can't imagine the pain. I was supposed to be a leader. These people trusted me," Fai Dan said grabbed his gun. I knew he was trying to fight it by how he was shaking. "It wants me to stop you…but I…I won't. I won't!" Fai Dan shouted before shooting himself in the head. I turned away from the sight. I felt John put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. I grabbed that hand and squeezed before walking ahead. Once back at the entryway, John and I shared a look. We then started walking down.

"Okay, all we have to do is find this thing and shoot it a few…what the bloody hell is that?" I asked looking at a huge creature in front of us.

"That does not look like any plant I've ever seen. This may be…problematic," John noted. We walked up getting a closer look.

"This is bigger than I thought it would be," I muttered. Something then came out of its…mouth? It was a green asari.

"Invaders! Your every step is transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as meat, good only to dig or decompose. I speak for the Old Growth, as I did for Saren. You are within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe!" The Asari told us.

"You gave something to Saren. Something I need," John told her.

"Saren sought knowledge of those who are gone. The Old Growth listened to flesh for the first time in the Long Cycle. Trades were made. Then cold ones began killing the flesh that would tend the next cycle. Flesh fairly given! The Old Growth see the air you push as lies! It will listen no more!" The Asari told us.

"I won't let you keep your thralls. Release them. Now!" John demanded.

"No more will the Thorian listen to those that scurry. Your lives are short, but have gone on too long. Your blood will feed the ground and the new growth!" The Asari told us.

"Sorry, hun. Not today!" I said as she attacked. We then shot at her until she was dead and then some Thorian Creepers attacked us. We shot them all down before taking down one of the Thorian Nodes making the Thorian screech. "That's a start. But there' still bound to be more around here," I mused. We made our way up the stairs destroying more Thorian Creepers and other Nodes. We made it to the last Node and shot it down. The Thorian fell down and was destroyed. One of the pods opened and a purple skinned asari came out. It looked like the green one.

"I'm free. I'm free. I-I suppose I should thank you for releasing me," she told us.

"Is everything all right? Are you hurt?" John asked her.

"I am fine. Or I will be, in time. My name is Shiala. I serve-I served Matriarch Benezia. When she allied herself with Saren, so did I. Benezia foresaw the influence Saren would have. She joined him to guide him down a gentler path. But Saren is compelling. Benezia lost her way," Shiala told us.

"Are you saying Saren can control minds?" John asked. That would be a terrifying thought.

"Benezia understood Saren. As did I. We came to believe in his cause and his goals. The strength of his influence is troubling," Shiala told us.

"She tried to manipulate Saren. But in the end, her plan backfired," Garrus added.

"Asari Matriarchs are among the most intelligent and powerful beings in the galaxy. How could one fall under Saren's control?" John asked.

"Saren has a vessel. An enormous warship unlike anything I've ever seen. He calls it Sovereign. It can dominate the minds of his followers. They become indoctrinated to Saren's will. The process is subtle. It can take days, weeks. But in the end, it is absolute. I was a willing slave when Saren brought me to this world. He needed my biotics to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its secrets. Saren offered me in trade. I was sacrificed to secure an alliance between Saren and the Thorian," Shiala told us.

"Saren's pretty quick to betray his own people," John said, disgust in his blue eyes.

"He was quick to betray the Thorian too. After he had what he wanted, he ordered the geth to destroy all evidence of its existence. Saren knows you are searching for the Conduit. He knows you are following his steps. He attacked the Thorian so you could not gain the Cipher," Shiala told John.

"What's the Cipher? And why did Saren need it?" John asked her.

"The beacon on Eden Prime gave you visions. But the visions are unclear, confusing. They were meant for a Prothean mind. To truly comprehend them, you must think like a Prothean. You must understand their culture, their history, their very existence. The Thorian was here long before the Protheans built this city. It watched and studied them. When they died, it consumed them. They became a part of it," Shiala explained.

"So the Thorian taught Saren to think like Prothean? How?" I asked curious.

"The Cipher is the very essence of being Prothean. It cannot be described or explained. It would be like describing color to a creature without eyes. To understand, you must have access to endemic ancestral memory. A viewpoint spanning thousands of Prothean generations. I sensed this ancestral memory-the Cipher-when I melded with the Thorian. Our identities merged, our minds intertwined. Such knowledge cannot be taught; it simple exists," Shiala answered.

"I need that knowledge to stop Saren!" John told her.

"There is a way. I can transfer the knowledge from my mind to yours, as I did with Saren. Try to relax, Commander. Slow, deep breaths. Let go of your physical shell. Reach out to grasp the threads that bind us, one to another. Every action sends ripples across the galaxy. Every idea must touch another mind to live. Each emotion must mask another's spirit. We are all connected. Every living being united in a single, glorious existence. Open your eyes to the universe, Commander. Embrace eternity!" Shiala's eyes turned black as she gave John the Cipher. They were quiet for a moment before Shiala back away. "I have given you the Cipher, just as it was given to Saren. The ancestral memories of the Protheans are a part of you now," Shiala told him.

"John, are you okay? What did she do?" I asked looking at John with a little worry.

"I saw…something. It still didn't make any sense," he told me.

"You have been given a great gift: the experience of an entire people. It will take time for your mind to process this information," Shiala told him.

"You look a little pale. We should get you back to the ship," I said to John.

"I am sorry if you have suffered, but there was no other way. You needed the Cipher. In time, it will help you understand the vision of the beacon," Shiala told John.

"Tell me more about this ship Saren has," John said to her.

"Sovereign is alien. I do not know how it was built, or where it comes from. Its design does not match that of any know spacefaring species. It dwarfs any vessel in the Citadel or Alliance fleets. Its weapons are devastating; its defenses, virtual impenetrable. With it, Saren believe he is unstoppable," Shiala informed.

"You said Saren uses it to manipulate his followers," I pointed out.

"The indoctrination. There is an energy about Sovereign. You feel drawn to the ship. It makes Saren's arguments more persuasive, more compelling. Spend enough time in Sovereign's presence and you will lose yourself. There is no other way to explain it," she told me. I nodded.

"Now that you're free of the Thorian, what are you planning to do next?" John asked her.

"If you allow it, I would like to stay here with the colonists. They have suffered greatly, and I played a role in their suffering. I would like to make amends," she replied. I smiled a little.

"The colonists will need all the help they can get. They'll be happy to have you on their side," John told her.

"Thank you, Commander. May fortune smile upon you," she wished him. We then left the place and met up with the colony, mainly Juliana and Lizbeth.

"You did it. With the Thorian gone, we can start rebuilding for ourselves again. And we're free of ExoGeni's threats. We're back to being just a little nowhere colony. Thank you, Commander," Juliana said to John. We then left after saying goodbye to Shiala. Once back on the Normandy, we got out of our armor and went to the Comm Room where everyone was waiting. We told them what we found out.

"Commander, you look…pale. Are you suffering any ill effects from the Cipher?" Liara asked.

"The Cipher shook me up a bit," John replied.

"I might be able to help you. I am an expert on the Protheans. If I join my consciousness with yours maybe we can make some sense of it," Liara said to him.

"Do it. Hurry. We don't have much time," John told her standing up. Liara stood up and walked over to him.

"Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity!" Liara called as her eyes turned black. The two were quiet for a moment before Liara's eyes turned back to normal. "That was incredible! All this time. All my research. Yet I never dreamed…I'm sorry. The images were so vivid. I never imagined the experience would be so…intense. You are remarkable strong-willed, Commander. What you've been through, what you've seen, would have destroyed a lesser mind," Liara told him. I clenched my fist. We already heard this!

"Come on. Get to the point. What did you see?" Ashley asked impatient. She looked at me and sent me a smirk making me blink.

"The beacon on Eden Prime must have been badly damaged. Large parts of the vision are missing. The data transferred into the Commander's mind is complete," Liara informed.

"You sure you didn't come across any kind of clue or hint? Something we might have missed?" John asked.

"Everything I saw you already know. You were right about the Reapers. The Protheans were destroyed by a race of sentient machines. I think it's obvious there's a connection between the Reapers, the Prothean extinction, and the Conduit. But I didn't see anything that would help us find it," Liara told him.

"What's our next move?" John asked.

"I was able to interpret the data relayed through your vision. What was there, at least. But something was missing. Saren must have the missing information. Maybe he found another beacon. If we can find the missing data from your vision I can-whoa!" Liara held her head, dizzy from the thing she did with John. "I'm sorry. The joining is…exhausting. I should go to the medical bay and lie down for a moment," Liara said to him.

"We're done here. Dismissed," John said to everyone. We all left as John talked with the Council. I went to my cabin and started cleaning my guns. I heard a knock at my door after a little while.

"Come in!" I called. The door slid open and there stood John. I smiled at him. "How are you doing?" I asked referring to the Cipher.

"A little better, thank you," he replied with a small smile. I offered him a place to sit on the bed and he took it. "You know, we still have to finish that conversation from before we landed on Feros," he told me.

"Joker, now would be a good time to help me out here. Save me the embarrassment," I said looking up. John chuckled. "Where are we going next?" I asked him.

"Noveria, but the original subject," he told me. I sighed.

"Okay, yes, I have developed some sort of feelings for you. I won't let it get in the way of the mission, so you don't have to worry," I told him.

"I know you won't. I'm still trying to sort out what I'm feeling, but I do know they're positive," he told me. I smiled a little.

"Why would you even have feelings for little ole me?" I asked him raising an eyebrow. He chuckled.

"Paige, you're a beautiful, intelligent, funny, compassionate woman. I'd have to be an idiot not to like as more than just a friend," he told me. I blushed a little and tucked a piece of my black hair behind my ear.

"If I didn't know any better, Commander, I'd say you were trying to make me blush," I said to him.

"I'd say it was working," he smiled seeing the light blush in my cheeks. "So, before you went into military, what did you do?" He asked curious.

"Well, aside from school, I was a writer," I answered.

"A writer? What did you write about?" He asked me obviously interested.

"I was the type of writer who wrote about heroes. Finding a way to save the galaxy and getting the girl," I chuckled. He raised an eyebrow.

"I might have to read some of those stories," he mused.

"I've actually been writing…you've really become my inspiration. Once you stop Saren, people will wanting to know the details of what you went through. I figured through this story, you wouldn't have to worry," I told him. He smiled.

"That actually sounds interesting. Now, would be the girl I get?" He asked me. I smirked.

"We'll just have to see, Commander," I replied. "Now, you should probably get some rest. It will be a while before we get to Noveria," I told him. He nodded before sending a smile and leaving. I smiled myself and got some rest.


	6. Noveria

**~Paige~**

Wrex and I got ready since John wanted us to go with him while we were on Noveria. Wrex looked at me and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're different from some of the humans," he said bluntly. I chuckled.

"You'd be surprised how many times I've heard that, Wrex. I looked human, have the wisdom of an asari, the stubbornness of a krogan, and the pride of a turian. That's what I've heard," I told him. He nodded his large head.

"I can see it. Especially your stubbornness. Hehe, when you're angry, you're definitely like a krogan," he chuckled.

"Something tells me this will be a beautiful friendship, Wrex," I smiled.

"Just don't expect hugs or anything. I don't do them," he said gruffly. I chuckled.

"I expected that. Come on, John's waiting for us," I said to him.

"John?" He asked confused.

"Uh…Commander Shepard. John is his first name," I told him.

"I thought Shepard was his first name. Just like yours is Cameron," he scratched his head. I chuckled a little.

"No. His full name is John Shepard. I'm Paige Cameron. When in the military, people rarely use our first names," she explained. He nodded.

"You humans are confusing," I heard him mutter as we met up with John. John raised an eyebrow at me and I gave him a look that said 'I'll tell you later.' He nodded and we got going. We made our way and soon saw three people…with guns.

"That's far enough," the middle woman said to us.

"We're not here to cause problems," John assured.

"This is an unscheduled arrival. I need your credentials," the same woman told us.

"You first," John said.

"We're the law here. Show some respect," the blond woman told him.

"We will when you will," I told her with narrowed eyes. She glared at me.

"I'm Captain Maeko Matsuo, Elanus Risk Control Services," Matsuo told us.

"I'm a Spectre. My name is Shepard," John told her.

"Load of horsecrap, ma'am," blondie told her.

"I'll show her horsecrap once I'm finished with her," I muttered to myself. Wrex quietly snickered at my comment.

"We will need to confirm that. Also, I must advise you that firearms are not permitted on Noveria. Sergeant Stirling, secure their weapons," Matsuo ordered blondie. We all aimed our guns at them and the turian and Stirling did it back.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," I glared harshly.

"Stand down. Their house, their rules," John told us.

"Don't come crying to me when they slice your gut open," Wrex said to him.

"Captain Matsuo! Stand down," a woman's voice over the speaker ordered. "We confirmed their identity. Spectres are authorized to carry weapons here, Captain."

"You may proceed, Spectre. I hope the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you upstairs," Matsuo told us.

"Behave yourself," Stirling said, mainly looking at me. I glared at her before they walked away.

"Anyone else tempted to punch, blondie?" I asked.

"I was tempted just by looking at her," Wrex answered. John chuckled at us and we went upstairs to meet the said person. Once there we saw a woman in a dark pink dress.

"I am Gianna Parasini, assistant to Administrator Anoleis. We apologize for the incident in the docking bay," Parasini told us.

"I appreciate your help," John said.

"You're welcome. You understand our security chief was only doing her job. One of my duties is orientation of new arrivals. Do you have any questions?" Parasini asked.

"Pretty heavy security for such a small port," I noted. John gave a look that showed he agreed.

"The Executive Board does everything in its power to protect the privacy of our client corporations," Parasini explained.

"I can have my investigation hampered," John told her.

"Tread lightly. The Board can bury you in litigation. You'd need an asari lawyer to see the case through," she told him.

"Has anyone unusual passed through here recently?" John asked.

"Unusual? An asari Matriarch passed through a few days ago. Lady Benezia," she answered.

"Saren's flunky? Where?" Wrex asked.

"Can I speak with her?" John asked Parasini.

"Benezia left for the Peak 15 research complex days ago. To the best of my knowledge, she's still there," she answered.

"Could you tell me how to get there?" John asked her.

"You'll need to ask Administrator Anoleis for clearance to leave this port," Parasini told him.

"Where can we find this administrator?" I asked her.

"His office is on the main level. Left at the top of the elevator," she answered.

"Understood. Can we go in now?" John asked.

"Of course. If you need any help, you can ask me at the administrator's office," Parasini told him before leaving.

"If Lady Benezia is here, then it would be wise if we brought Liara along. She would know her mother better than we do," I told John. He nodded.

"I'll get Liara," Wrex said before leaving. After a little bit, Liara joined us. We went to the elevator. We all then went to the administrator's office. There we saw Parasini who let us in. Once in the office we saw a salarian at his desk, Anoleis.

"You will excuse me if I don't stand up. I have no time to entertain refugees from the urban blight called Earth," Anoleis said to us. My right eye twitch a little in annoyance.

"I'm here as a Spectre, not a human. Keep that in mind," John stated, sounded a little annoyed himself.

"Believe me, that is foremost in my mind. This greeting is a courtesy. I will only cooperate as required by the Executive Board. Businesses come here to avoid the second-guessing of galactic law," Anoleis said to him.

"Are you telling me you have no safety protocols?" John asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think a for-profit company would take no precautions against loss of life and material? Project leads have the final say here. Not meddlesome politicians," Anoleis said.

"Do you do business with Saren?" John asked him.

"Agent Saren? One of your Spectre compatriots? He's a major investor in Binary Helix corporation, which is one of Noveria's backers," Anoleis answered.

"I've heard an asari Matriarch is here. Benezia?" John asked next.

"She arrived a few days ago, accompanied by a personal escort and some cargo. She is up at Peak 15," he answered. The cargo got my attention more.

"What can you tell us about her cargo?" I asked.

"Large, heavy, and sealed. It passed weapons screening. Beyond that it is not our concern," Anoleis answered. There was most likely geth in that cargo.

"What did you mean by 'personal escort'?" John asked.

"The phrase itself-explanatory. Bodyguards attending to the safety of her person. Mainly asari commandos," Anoleis answered.

"Commandos? Don't you find that even a little suspicious?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They followed all our regulations. I had no reason to forbid Lady Benezia from taking them," he told me.

"What brought her out here?" John asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be at liberty to say. She came here as Agent Saren's executor. She is here on business for Binary Helix. There were issues at Peak 15 that required Saren's attention," Anoleis answered.

"I'd like to see her immediately," John told him.

"I'm afraid you cannot. Peak 15 is a private facility in the Skadi Mountains. Regardless, there is a blizzard in the area. Shuttles are grounded, and surface access has been cut off," the salarian informed.

"Surface access, you say?"

"Cut off, I said. The roads are not suitable for travel. Don't make an issue of this, Shepard," Anoleis said.

"Just forget about him, Commander. If he won't help us then no one else here will," I told him. John agreed and we left Anoleis' office.

"Mr. Anoleis isn't the only one with a pass to leave Hanshan. You've never worked in the corporate world, have you, Commander? You can't bludgeon through bureaucracy," Parasini said to him.

"So it would seem. I need an alternative," John told her.

"Talk to Lorik Qui'in. You should be able to find him at the hotel bar. Can't say more. Not within earshot of Mr. Anoleis," Parasini told him. I smirked, a new way in. We thanked her and made our way to the hotel bar. Once at the bar, we walked up to a turian.

"Afternoon. Sit down, have a drink. What can I do for you?" Lorik asked.

"Are you Lorik Qui'in? I've heard you might be able to help me," John said to him.

"You are the Spectre that just arrived, are you not? What could an old turian like me possibly help you with?" Lorik asked him.

"I'm trying to find a way into the garage. I have places to go," John answered.

"You need a pass. How fortuitous. I'm the manager of the local Synthetic Insights office. For the moment, at least. Mr. Anoleis closed my office. He claims to be investigating reports of my corruption. The administrator is an interesting man. He has become quite wealthy since he took direct control of rents," Lorik said.

"I sense a connection there," John said.

"Indeed. I require evidence of Anoleis' actions. His hired goons are ransacking my office to find it. I suspect your goal lies outside this port. Mr. Anoleis would be disinclined to let you wander. If you recover the evidence from my office, I will give you my garage pass, as well as a sum of credits," Lorik compromised.

"You have a plan?" John asked.

"I do. However, there is one other-what is that charming human expression? 'Fly in the lotion'? Violence against Mr. Anoleis' thugs may be necessary. He had members of Hanshan's security team searching my offices. He is paying them under the table. Ms. Matsuo is unaware of their outside employment," Lorik informed. I smirked, maybe then I can punch Stirling a good one.

"I'll focus on trying to get your evidence. If I'm lucky, I won't have to fight anyone," John agreed.

"Excellent. Here is my pass to our offices. It will activate the door. The evidence is on my office computer. This OSD contains an encryption key to access it. Slide it into the drive and it will auto execute," Lorik told us. With that, we made our way to the offices. Once at the offices, two security guards were there.

"Freeze! Hanshan security. This office is sealed," the woman said.

"Lorik Qui'in gave me a pass in," John stated.

"Qui'in? Are you working with him? He's under investigation," the woman said.

"Anoleis is paying you to shake this place down. Does Captain Matsuo know you're here?" John asked.

"Hey, I'm not the one who wants Qui'in. Anoleis has a varren up his ass about this guy. How about this? You pretend you didn't see us, we'll pretend we didn't see you," she said before leaving. Unfortunately, there weren't some guards who thought the same. We had to shoot them down. We made our way upstairs and grabbed the evidence we needed. Making our way out of the office, we ran into Stirling and some of her guards.

"I don't think you're supposed to be in here, Shepard," Stirling said.

"You have me at a disadvantage, Miss…?" John asked.

"Oh, now you're going to show some respect? I'm Sergeant Kaira Stirling, Elanus Risk Control Services. Anoleis would throw you offworld for what you did here. I won't. You know what we did to cop killers on my world?" Stirling asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"You're here off-duty, breaking the law while taking bribe money, and you expect us to feel sorry for stopping you? Sorry, hun, not going to happen," I glared placing a hand on my hip.

"I didn't want to fight them. They fired first," John stated.

"Well, I don't need a gun to rip you to pieces," Stirling said. I sighed and used my biotics on her, pinning her to the wall.

"Indeed, neither do I, blondie," I said to her.

"Still no respect," she glared. I glared back with cold eyes.

"I don't give respect to bribe taking bitches," I said before killing her. John and Liara got the other two guards. John looked at me a little amused.

"'Bribe taking bitches'?" He asked. I shrugged.

"She acted like a bitch and took bride money," I said to him. He nodded and we made our way out of the offices. Once out of the elevator, Giana Parasini stood there.

"Commander. There've been reports of noise coming from the Synthetic Insights office. Would you know anything about it?" She asked.

"It's probably Anoleis' thugs ripping the place apart," John answered.

"Smartass, hm? That's fine. I can work with that. Meet me at the hotel for a drink, before you talk to Qui'in. I'll be waiting," she told him before leaving.

"I knew it," I muttered.

"Knew what, Paige?" Liara asked me.

"She's an undercover agent," I stated.

"How do you know?" John asked me.

"I have a knack for sniffing them out," I winked before walking off. I then heard them follow me as we made our way to the hotel. There we saw Parasini.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs," Parasini told him. I smirked. Sometimes I amaze myself. John nudged me a little saying I was right.

"Why is an Internal Affairs again here?" John asked her.

"The Executive Board knows about Anoleis' corruption. I've been undercover for six months. I want you to convince Qui'in to testify before the Board. With his evidence, this planet can run profitably again," Parasini answered.

"I need Qui'in's garage pass to complete my mission," John stated.

"You help my investigation, I'll provide whatever you need. Favor for a favor," Parasini told him.

"In the long run, it is better to remove the source of the problem," Liara said.

"We would be helping more people if we did as she asked, Commander," I told him.

"Look, Shepard. I don't like this either. You Spectres play fast and loose with the law. That's bad for business," Parasini said.

"All right. I'll talk to Qui'in and see if I can convince him," John agreed.

"Thank you. You know where I work. Come talk to me once you know if he'll play ball," Parasini said before leaving. We then walked over to Qui'in.

"Always a pleasure, Spectre. Any news on the matter I asked you to look into?" Lorik asked us.

"I finished the job. But an Internal Affairs investigator contacted me. She wants you to testify against Anoleis," John stated.

"Now that you have my property, you want to dictate how I use it? I have no interest in a public spectacle," Qui'in glared.

"Everyone on this station is chafing under Anoleis' extortion. You might end up a hero," John persuaded.

"My employers rely on the goodwill of the Executive Board to work here," Lorik said.

"Actually, the Board is investigating Anoleis. I believe they will be more ticked at him than at you," I told him.

"All right! It is obvious that I cannot dissuade you," he agreed. Now to tell Parasini the good news. We made our way to the administrator's office and saw Parasini.

"Spectre. Have you given anymore consideration to my offer?" Parasini asked.

"It took some persuasion, but Qui'in has agreed to testify," John told her. Parasini sighed in relief.

"That's a world of stress off my back. I'll take the evidence for safe transport. I didn't think you'd help me. Being a Spectre and all. I guess some of you can be all right," she said to him.

"So how about getting me into the garage?" John asked.

"While you were working on Qui'in, I got you a garage pass. Be careful up there. I have an arrest to make. I wish I had time to change into something easy to move in. I hate skirts," Parasini grumbled. I chuckled.

"Hun, I feel your pain," I agreed. Skirts were a pain. She sent a small smile to me before heading to Anoleis' office. They both then came out with Anoleis struggling.

"This is an outrage! I'll see that you never work in this sector again!" Anoleis shouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Get a move on," Parasini told him. John and I shared a smirk as Anoleis came by us.

"You! Shepard! I demand you place this bitch under arrest!" Anoleis told him.

"You have the right to remain silent. I wish to God you'd exercise it. See you around the galaxy, Commander. I owe you a beer," Parasini said walked out with Anoleis.

"Well, now we have a garage to get to," I smiled at John. He sent a smile back and we all got moving. Once at the garage, we showed the guard woman the pass and were granted entry. We walked in and were attacked by geth which we took down. After we finished them off, Captain Matsuo walked in.

"What did you do here, Commander?" She demanded.

"Me? I'm the victim here! The geth attacked us!" He stated.

"Geth? You expect me to-where did they come from?" Matsuo asked.

"That cargo Lady Benezia had was holding geth inside," I told her.

"I do not believe that. We did thorough scans of those. There were no power sources, no element zero masses….If Benezia-sama's containers were packed with these things, there are many more out there," Matsuo said.

"I need numbers, Captain. A dozen? A hundred?" John asked.

"Dozens at least. They are machines. You could pack them tightly. I must go report to the Executive Board. If word gets out about loose geth, there may be an investor panic," Matsuo said before leaving. The three of us got in the Mako and drove up to Peak 15, taking down geth and other geth related machines along the way. We got out of the Mako and made our way in only to be attacked by more geth and a krogan. After they were gone, we opened the door and I raised an eyebrow.

"I wonder why the turrets are facing the wrong way," I mused.

"They want to keep their people in as much as they want to keep others out," Liara told me as we got in the elevator. I nodded. Once we were in a new area, we were attacked by geth that we all shot down. We then looked around cautiously for geth and heard something.

"What the bloody hell was that?" I asked.

"Animals? Wind? This place is in bad shape," Liara said. At least from the sound of her voice, that's what she hoped. I heard screeching and looked over seeing some kind of creature.

"Animal or wind, huh? That does not sound like wind or look like any animal I've ever seen!" I told her as I shot some down with the help of Liara and John. We moved on and soon found a VI system. I rewired it so I could get it to work. It appears we had to find a way to turn the power back on. We gathered all the information we could from the VI before moving on to the roof to turn on the landline. Of course we were attacked by those creatures again as well. After finishing up there, we went to another area where we had to fight geth and turn on the Main Reactor. That was finished and we moved on to the next area, finding a dead salarian along the way. Finally, we boarded a tram that would take us to the next place where hopefully Benezia would be. The Rift Station. We got off the tram and found two elevators, one was locked down so we went into the other. The door opened after we made it up and we saw soldiers.

"Stand down," a man told the other soldiers. He looked at us. "Sorry. We couldn't be sure what was on the tram," he told us.

"Can those things work a train's controls?" John asked.

"Hell if I know. I'm not assuming any-goddamn-thing. Look. You're human, and that's enough that I won't shoot. But I'd like to know who you are," the Captain said.

"My name's Shepard. I'm a Spectre," John told him.

"Huh. I won't look a heavily-armed horse in the mouth. The aliens overran the hot labs last week. Only Han Olar got out, and he ain't all there anymore. The first we knew, the bastards were clawing into my command post. We had a lot more staff then," the Captain told us.

"You were taken by surprise and had civilians to protect. You did a good job, Captain," John said.

"Yeah? Sure as hell doesn't feel like it. The Board sent and asari to clean up the mess. She went to the hot labs yesterday. We haven't heard from her since," the Captain informed.

"I'm not going to let any of your people die," John promised.

"All I can do is hold out here and protect the civilians. There's an emergency elevator out by the trams. This card will let you activate it. It can take you down to the hot labs. Oh, if you need any first-aid, Dr. Cohen's downstairs in the med bay," the Captain told us.

"Well, looks like we've got work to do," I mused.

"Yeah, I hear th-," the Captain was cut off by a screech. "Hell! Man the perimeter!" He ordered his men. Two of those creatures showed up and we shot them down. "Thanks for the help. Every few hours, a group comes up the tram tunnel. It's actually better since we locked down the elevator. I don't know why they keep throwing themselves against our defenses. Even animals should learn not to stick their noses where it hurts," the Captain said to us. We had to agree with that. We left and went to the elevator he suggested which led us up to where the refugees were. We talked with an Asari named Alestia Iallis. She was suspicious to me. We then talked to a Dr. Palon. We gained little information though. Afterwards, we went to the med bay and talked to Dr. Zev Cohan. Turns out the people who were in the quarantine were infected with a toxin from the creatures. If we want to see the notes and equipment, then we have to persuade Captain Ventralis to let us in. Once in, we get the data and everything that's needed, then we can bring it back and make a cure for the people that were infected with the toxin. We said that we would be back and went back to see Captain Ventralis. "Something you need?" Captain Ventralis asked.

"I've heard about the problems in the quarantine lab. I'd like to recover the toxin cure," John told him.

"God. I wish we could help those guys. I really do. But we can't risk contamination now," Captain Ventralis said.

"We're not part of your defense plans. We're consuming extra rations, extra medi-gel…" John said to him.

"Yeah. But you also have extra guns. All right. You want to gamble with your life, you're not under my command. I'll have the guard let you in, but he'll lock the door behind you. He'll run a full scan before he'll let you out. If there are any anomalies, you stay in there," Captain Ventralis warned.

"Those are reasonable precautions," John agreed.

"I'll radio ahead to let the guard know. Good luck," Captain Ventralis said shaking hands with the Commander. We then left to head to the hot labs. Once in the lab, he saw a Volus who looked at us.

"You came to find out about them, didn't you?" He asked.

"You mean those things out there?" I asked him.

"Yes. I'm the only survivor from the hot lab, you know," he answered. So this was Han Olar.

"I need to know more about those things out there," John said to him.

"About the rachni?" Olar asked.

"'Rachni'? I think I've heard about that somewhere," I mused.

"Where did they come from?" John asked Olar.

"They found it in a derelict ship. An egg. Waiting since the last battles. They brought it here-"

"Shut up! God. You want to get us killed?" the human scientist hissed at Olar.

"I don't have any control over who lives or dies here. Do you?" Olar retorted.

"If you're going to be crazy, be the quiet kind," the turian scientist told him.

"Crazy? I'm sane. God, am I sane," Olar said to himself.

"I need to know everything about the rachni," John said to him.

"I told you all I can. We brought the rachni back from the dead. In retrospect, a bad decision," Olar replied.

"I heard you were at the hot labs. How did you make it out alive?" John asked him.

"I killed her," Olar answered.

"'Her'? Who did you kill?" I asked him.

"Doctor Zhonmua. We were going to lunch when the alarms went off. I ran into the tram. And I close the doors. She banged on the window once. Then they sliced her to pieces. Her head came apart like a melon. I close the door. I killed her," Olar said, guilt was obvious in his voice. I frowned feeling sorry for him.

"Tell me what you know. I'll make your survival mean something," John said to him obviously hearing the guilt too.

"You think I want absolution? There is none," Olar sighed.

"Could Matriarch Benezia survive in the hot labs?" John asked.

"It's possible. The specimens were sensitive to biotics," he informed.

"Well, that works well for me and Liara," I mused as we said goodbye to Olar. We walked over to the hot labs were a turian guard waited.

"You're not part of the crew," he stated.

"I have Ventralis' permission to go in there," John told him.

"Yeah, he radioed. He also said you have to prove you're not contaminated to get out. You got a death wish, you should stand watches on the barricade," the turian said before letting us in. Once inside the room, we looked around for everything we would need. We finally found the data that Dr. Cohen needed.

"Your mission ends here, Shepard," we heard. We turned to find Alestia there.

"I had a feeling we couldn't trust her. I should have knocked her out on the spot," I muttered to John. "You're a sleeper agent for Benezia," I stated looking at Alestia.

"I was ordered to eliminate you, should the opportunity arise. And here you are, trapped in this lab. Weapons free!" She ordered two geth and an asari commando. We shot them down and Liara and I used our biotics to help us out. Once they were killed, we walked out to see the guard dead.

"They came out of there," Olar said to us.

"You mean the ge-the inorganics the asari had with her?" John asked him.

"Benezia brought them with her," he answered.

"How can I get into the maintenance area?" John asked needing to know.

"A team lead would have access. Like Dr. Cohen. He's in the medical bay," Olar answered. We thanked him and went back to Dr. Cohen.

"Is that the cure? You did it?" Dr. Cohen asked.

"That asari scientist-the one in the mess hall-she just tried to kill us," John stated.

"Alestia? That's unbe-! I=I don't know much about her. She arrived a month ago. Once of the shareholders pulled strings to get her here," Dr. Cohen said.

"Let me take a wild guess here and say it was a Spectre named Saren," I said to him.

"Yes. I think that was the name. I don't pay attention to the other research teams. Look. The guards. They've been more on edge since you got here. I think they were expecting you. There are more labs in the back. The guards won't even let me back there. Just people with 'clearance'," he told us.

"What about the maintenance area? Do you have access to that?" John asked.

"The maintenance area? Yes, take my pass. But there's just snow back there. Let me see that phial. An extension on Phelps' work? I thought he was on the right track. I can't thank you enough. God. What a cliché. You save their lives, you know that?" The doctor asked.

"Could you spare a few medical packs? They're worth their weight in gold up here," John told him. No doubt that we really need them right now.

"You didn't get these from me. Ventralis wanted them saved for his people. I need to administer this. Thanks again," Dr. Cohen said before getting to work. We left the med bay and made our way to the maintenance area. We had to take down some rachni along the way, but finally made it to the maintenance area. There we saw Benezia.

"You do not know the privilege of being a mother. There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it toward happiness or despair," Benezia said looking a rachni. I glared at her. How the hell would she know anything about us? "Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies. I won't be moved by sympathy. No matter who you bring into this confrontation," Benezia said looking at Liara.

"Liara's here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to," John replied.

"Indeed? What have you told him about me, Liara?" Benezia asked.

"What could I say, mother? That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?" Liara asked almost looking like she wanted to cry. I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. She squeezed back in thanks before we let go.

"Have you face and an asari commando unit before? Few humans have," Benezia said. I glared at her.

"I can't believe you'd kill your own daughter!" I growled.

"I now realize I should have been stricter with her," Benezia said activating her biotics. She was about to attack until I threw up a biotics shield to protect us. Some asari commandos and geth came in and starts shooting. We shot them down and walked up to Benezia, trapping her in. "This is not over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear."

"The rachni didn't cooperate with you. Why should I?" John asked.

"I will not betray him. You will-you….You must listen. Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsion briefly. But the indoctrination is strong," Benezia said to us.

"Why are you able to break free of his control now?" John asked her suspicious.

"I sealed a part of my mind away from the indoctrination. Saving it for a moment when I could help destroy him. It will not last long," Benezia answered.

"So you could turn on me again," John stated.

"Yes. But it would not be my will, Shepard. People are not themselves around Saren. You come to idolize him. Worship him. You would do anything for him. The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnought of incredible size and its power is extraordinary," Benezia informed

"Sovereign's not like other ships. Where did it come from?" John asked.

"I cannot say. The geth did not build it. Its technology is far more advance than that of any known species. The longer you stay aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you. It is subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist. Instead, I became a willing tool, eager to serve. He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago," Benezia informed.

"How does something that big go missing?" John asked.

"Four thousand years ago, a star nearby went supernova. The shockwave propelled the relay out of its system, but did not damage it. Its precise vector and speed are impossible to determine. As millennia passed, the nebula created by the nova enveloped the relay. It is difficult to find any cold object in interstellar space. Particularly something swathed in hot dust and radiation," she explained.

"Someone on Noveria found it?" John asked her.

"Two thousand years ago, the rachni inhabited that region of our galaxy. They discovered the relay. The rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers. I took the location of the relay from the queen's mind. I was not gentle," Benezia said looking guilty.

"Why does Saren need the Mu Relay?" John asked.

"He believes it will lead him to the Conduit. I would tell you more if I could, but Saren did not share his counsel with me. I was merely a servant to his cause," she answered.

"You did the rachni find it?" I asked her.

"They searched, patiently. They are territorial creatures, driven to close any possible way into their systems," Benezia told me.

"You can still make it right. Give me the information," John told her.

"I was not myself, but-I should have been stronger. I transcribed the data to an OSD. Take it. Please," Benezia said handing him the OSD.

"Knowing the relay's coordinates is not enough. Do you know where he planned to go from there?" Liara asked.

"Saren wouldn't tell me his destination. But you must find out quickly. I transmitted the coordinates to him before you arrived. You have to stop-me. I can't-his teeth are at my ear. Fingers on my spine. You should-uh, you should-," Benezia struggled for control.

"Mother, I-don't leave! Fight him!" Liara told her desperate.

"You've always made me proud, Liara," Benezia told her. She was quiet for a moment before turning. "-Die!" She started attacking and…we took her down. "I cannot go on. You will have to stop him, Shepard," she told him as she sat there on the ground before standing shakily as she leaned on the railing.

"Hold on. We've medi-gel, maybe we can-!" John tried to help her.

"No. He is still in my mind. I am not entirely myself. I never will be again," Benezia said backing up to a wall.

"Mother…" Liara choked.

"Good night, Little Wing. I will see you again with the dawn," Benezia told her daughter as she slid down. "No light? They always said there would be-ah…" Benezia then died. Liara looked down trying not to cry and I wrapped arm around her shoulders as I led her away a little bit. We heard a screech and turned to see one of the 'dead' asari commandos and John pointing a gun at her. The Asari moved and stood in front of the rachni queen that moved.

"This one. Serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your musics are colorless," the rachni queen said as we walked over.

"Musics? What?" John asked confused.

"Your way of communicating is strange. Flat. It does not color the air. When we speak, one moves all. We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The child you thought silenced. We are rachni," the rachni queen said through the asari. John looked at the rachni queen.

"How are you speaking through her?" He asked.

"Our kind sing through touchings of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging. She has colors we have no names for. But she is ending. Her music is bittersweet. It is beautiful. The children we birthed were stolen from us before they could learn to sing. They are lost to silence. End their suffering. They cannot be saved. They will only cause harm as they are," the rachni queen said to him.

"I don't understand. Why are your children killing people?" John asked.

"These needle-men. They stole our eggs from us. They sought to turn out children into beasts of war. Claws with no songs of their own. Our elders are comfortable with silence. Children know only fear if no one sings to them. Fear has shattered their minds," the rachni queen said.

"I understand. A child left along in a closet until she is sixteen would not be sane," Liara explained. That I had to agree with. No one to guide her would leave her with no sense of right or wrong.

"If you're sure they can't be saved," John said wanting the queen to be sure.

"It is lamentable. But necessary. Do what you must. Before you deal with our child, we stand before you. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?" The rachni queen asked.

"They seem genuine, John. She's even asking you to kill her children that would hurt people…I think we should free her," I said to him softly. I know they are strong creatures and can be dangerous, but from what she's told us, I know she wants peace.

"Paige is right. They made a mistake. They let the krogan go too far. This is a chance for us to atone. She has done nothing to us," Liara agreed.

"Your companions hear the truth. You have the power to free us, or return out people to the silence of memory," the rachni queen said to him.

"I won't destroy your entire race. You'll go free," John told her.

"You will give us the chance to compose anew? We will remember. We will sing of your forgiveness to our children," the rachni queen told in grateful. John looked at me and nodded. I smiled and went to the panel to set the rachni free. The cage rose and the asari dropped dead again. The rachni looked at John who nodded for her to go on, she left then. We left next and made our way up to the hot labs where we saw a scientist.

"Are you here to secure the situation?" He asked us.

"How are you holding up?" John asked.

"You must listen to me. If we do not contain our mistake, they will drop bombs from the battlestations. You understand?" The man asked.

"You let these things out?" John asked with narrowed eyes.

"Ehh. I am only following the orders. Binary Helix found an egg. It was on a derelict ship, thousands of years drifting. This was rachni ship. Inside they find many eggs in cryogenic suspension," the scientist told us.

"A thousand-year-old egg hatched?" I asked.

"Yes. Very tough, to be so long frozen. That it survived the centuries-this is miraculous," the doctor said. I raised an eyebrow.

"With how things are going right now, I wouldn't consider this a miracle," I retorted.

"Binary Helix plan to clone rachni. Mass-produce them. Create an army. But when they get here, they find this egg is not a common rachni. It is a queen. After she lays eggs, they move her to Rift Station. They are thinking that without her, they can raise the babies to be obedient," the man told us.

"Hold on. Don't you need a male to get eggs?" John pointed out.

"Queens are born carrying the genetic code of their fathers. Eggs are carried away from the colony to hatch alone. Queens can lay eggs in hours, and have a colony in days. This is how they spread so quickly," he answered.

"Separating them from their mother didn't work," John stated.

"Ehh. This was exactly the wrong thing to do. I am thinking that without a queen, rachni do not develop properly. Her mind is shaping theirs. These rachni are uncontrollable," the man told us.

"Then all we need to do is bring her here," John said.

"No. I am sorry, but this will not work. These rachni are beyond saving. It is a sad thing, but they must be euthanized. I am thinking that a neutron purge must be set off," the scientist told him.

"I'm not familiar with the purge system," John told him.

"It creates bursts of neutron radiation. Kills everything within the station. Things beyond get genetic damage of varying degree," the man explained.

"How do we set off the purge?" John asked.

"Arming controls are nearby. All you do is insert the key. Then I will give Mira destruct co-UH!" A claw stabbed the scientist and we saw a rachni. The scientist was thrown aside and we shot the rachni down. I ran over and grabbed the key we needed, silently saying a prayer as I did so. We then worked on setting off the purge. We used the key and ordered Mira to set off the destruction counter. We had to shoot our way out after we finished setting up the purge. We couldn't kill all the rachni, but made it to the elevator before any of us could get hurt. It was finished and we went to the train back to Peak 15, the drove back to the port to bet back on the Normandy. We changed out of our armor and went to the comm room, taking our seats. Liara wanted to be alone at the moment so she didn't join us.

"What's our next move, Commander? Head the Mu Relay?" Ashely asked.

"The Me Relay could link to dozens of systems. Unless we know exactly where Saren's going, we'd just be wasting our time," John answered.

"The Commander is right. We can't just rush go in blind. We need more information to help us," I agreed.

"What about Liara? She is an expert on the Protheans," Garrus suggested.

"Yeah, right. Her mother was working for Saren. I bet she is, too," Ashley said.

"Benezia helped us in the end. After all, she was being controlled because of Saren and Sovereign. Liara is with us all the way, Ash. You can't just throw accusations like that around," I told her. Ashley sighed knowing I was right.

"This is a tough mission. We're all on edge. Everyone go get some rest. Crew…dismissed!" John told all of us. I smiled at him before going to my room. Once inside, I took a locket out of my shirt. Meeting Benezia while having Liara with us, it brought some memories back to me. I didn't even hear the door open. "Paige?" I heard John asked softly. I closed the locket and looked at him.

"John, what is it you needed?" I asked him.

"I just came to see how you were doing. Are you okay?" He asked taking a seat next to me on the bed. I sighed nodding a little.

"Yeah, just meeting Benezia and talking about mothers…it just brought back some memories," I told him.

"You mean that locket?" He asked looking at it. I opened it and showed him. It was a picture of my one year old daughter Alita. "You have a child?" He asked shocked as he looked at the picture.

"Had," I corrected softly. "We were at a human colony when some batarians attacked. My husband and daughter were killed," I told him. John frowned and wrapped an arm around me.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Paige," he said to me. I gave a small smile.

"It's alright. It was five years ago now. It still hurts, but the pain has gotten better," I replied. I wiped a stray tear away. "Just don't pity me, alright? I got enough of that to last me a life time, maybe even another," I told him.

"You got it," he agreed with a small smile.

"So, where are we heading next?" I asked him.

"Virmire. The Council told me that Saren is there due to some leads. You and Kaidan will be coming along with me," he told me. I nodded.

"Good. Just let me know when we get there," I said to him. He nodded and left after giving my shoulder a squeeze. I then laid down to get some rest.


	7. Virmire

**~Paige~**

"Commander, I'm reading a signal. Must be our salarian infiltration team," Joker said as we made our way closer to Virmire.

"Check out those defense towers," Kaidan pointed out.

"Drop the Mako. We'll go in hot and take them out," John said as the three of us got ready.

"I'll get you in underneath their radar, Commander," Joker said as he dropped the Mako off. " _We've got a clean drop, Commander_ ," Joker said as we got off the Normandy.

"Stay out of range and continue evasive maneuvers until I bring those AA towers down," John ordered.

" _I know the drill. Meet you at the camp once those towers are off-line. Joker out_ ," Joker said as we got in the Mako. John started driving as we made our way to one of the towers, taking down geth along the way. I couldn't help but admire the scenery, it was beautiful here. We made it to the first tower, taking down more geth before I made this tower go offline. We went back to the Mako and made our way to the second tower. There we had to do the same thing; kill the geth and make the tower go offline. We left the tower and got back in the Mako, making our way to the base. Along the way, Joker contacted us. " _Commander. Normandy's touched down at the base, but it looks like we're grounded. The salarian captain can explain when you get here_ ," Joker told him. It's then we made it over to the base. Ashely was talking with a salarian as we walked up.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ashley asked.

"Stay put until we can come up with a plan," the salarian answered.

"Are you in charge here? What's the situation?" John asked.

"I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment STG. You and your crew have landed in the middle of a hotzone. Every AA gun within ten miles has been alerted of your presence," Kirrahe told us.

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" John asked.

"We stay put until the Council sends the reinforcement we requested," Kirrahe answered. I sighed.

"That would happen to be us, Captain," I told him.

"What? You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet," Kirrahe said frustrated.

"We couldn't understand your transmission. They sent me to investigate," John told him.

"That is a repetition of our task. I lost half my men investigating this place," Kirrahe retorted.

"So what have you found?" Kaidan asked.

"Saren's base of operations. He's set up a research facility here, but it's crawling with geth and very well fortified," Kirrahe answered.

"Is he here? Have you seen him?" John asked referring to Saren.

"No. But his geth are everywhere, and we've intercepted some comms referring to Saren. This is his facility, there's no doubt about that," Kirrahe said.

"What is Saren researching?" I asked him.

"He's using the facility to breed an army of krogan," Kirrahe answered. Wrex walked up.

"How is that possible?" Wrex asked.

"Apparently, Saren has discovered a cure for the genophage," Kirrahe said to him.

"What's so important about curing this genophage?" John asked.

"It was the solution to the krogan problem," Wrex answered.

"We introduce the genophage to the krogan population after the uprising. To quell their numbers. Without it, the krogan will quickly overrun the galaxy. And these krogan follow Saren," Kirrahe added.

"The geth are bad enough. But a krogan army…he'd be almost unstoppable," John mused.

"Exactly my thoughts. We must ensure that this facility and its secrets are destroyed," Kirrahe told him.

"Destroyed? I don't think so. Our people are dying. This cure can save them," Wrex argued. I frowned and placed a hand on Wrex's arm.

"If that cure leaves this planet, the krogan will become unstoppable. We can't make the same mistake again," Kirrahe said to him. Wrex walked up to him.

"We're not a mistake!" Wrex growled before walking off.

"Is he going to be a problem? We already have enough angry krogan to deal with," Kirrahe said.

"I'll take to him," I glared at Kirrahe. I looked at John who nodded to me. I walked up to Wrex.

"This isn't right, Paige. If there's a cure for the genophage, we can't destroy it," Wrex told me.

"I understand you're upset. But we both know Saren's the enemy here. He's the one you should be angry with," I said softly. Wrex walked up to me.

"Really? Saren created a cure for my people. You want to destroy it. Help me out here, Paige. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand," Wrex said to me. I frowned at him.

"Wrex, this isn't a cure, it's a weapon. And if Saren is allowed to use it, you won't be around to reap the benefits. None of us will," I told him.

"That's a chance we should be willing to take. This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about. If you can't give me a better reason that this to destroy the hopes of my people, then I'm done with you and Shepard," Wrex told me as he aimed a gun at me. I aimed mine back.

"I can't let you jeopardize the mission," I stated.

"So that's it. All this time, and that's all I get from you? How can you not see what this means to the krogan? This base can't be destroyed. I won't allow it!" Wrex told me. I stood straight and let my gun equipped hand fall to my side.

"These krogan are slaves of Saren. Puppets, tools to be used and discarded. Is that what you want for your people?" I asked him. Wrex looked at me for a moment, thinking.

"No. We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for wiping out the rachni, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren will be as generous," Wrex said before putting his gun away. "All right, Paige. You've made your point. I don't like this, but I trust you enough to follow yours and Shepard's leads. Just one thing. When we find Saren, I want his head," he told me. I smiled at him.

"Just allow me to help you and we've got a deal," I told him. He laughed.

"You have yourself a deal, Paige. You are definitely a part of my clan," he told me. I smiled at him and lightly punched his shoulder.

"Good to know. I have to go talk with John. Talk to you later, mate," I told him.

"'Mate'?" He asked confused. I chuckled.

"The British and Australian humans use the word 'mate' as a way of saying friend," I told him. He nodded in understanding.

"Alright, 'mate'," he said making me chuckle again. He maybe a stubborn krogan, but he can by goofy and nice. I walked up to John and smiled at him.

"All good, Commander," I told him. He smiled back.

"I'm starting to think you're a krogan whisperer," he joked.

"I am many things, you'll just have to find out what," I flirted with a wink before walking up to Ashley and Kaidan. John had the three of us follow him as he went to talk with Kirrahe.

"Thank you for speaking with the krogan. The assault on Saren's base will be difficult enough as it is," Kirrahe said to me. I narrowed my eyes.

"The krogan's name is Wrex. Learn it," I told him in a cold tone. John placed a hand on my shoulder telling me to calm down. Kirrahe sent me a look that held shock and…admiration?

I assume that means you've come up with a plan," John said to him.

"Of sorts. We can convert our ship's drive system into a twenty-kiloton ordnance. Crude, but effective," Kirrahe said.

"Nice. Drop that nuke from orbit and Saren can kiss his turian ass goodbye," Ashley said sounding a little excited.

"Unfortunately, the facility is too well-fortified for that. We'll need to place the bomb at a precise location," Kirrahe said.

"Where do we take the nuke? And how do we get there?" John asked.

"The bomb must be taken to the far said of the facility. Your ship can drop it off, but we'll need to infiltrate the base, disable the AA guns, and pacify any ground forces first," Kirrahe told us.

"You want us to go in on foot? We don't have enough men," Kaidan told him.

"It does sound a bit risky. Is there no other way?" John asked.

"No, but I think we can work around that. I'm going to divide my men into three teams and hit the front of the facility. While we've got their attention, you can sneak in your 'shadow' team in the back," Kirrahe said.

"It's a good idea, but your people are going to get slaughtered," John told him.

"We're tougher than we look, Commander. But it's true. I don't expect many of us will make it out alive. And that makes what I'm going to ask even more difficult. I need one of your men to accompany me. To help coordinate the teams," Kirrahe said to him.

"We'll need someone who knows Alliance communication protocols," John said.

"I volunteer, Commander," Kaidan said to him.

"Not so fast, LT. Commander Shepard will need you to arm the nuke. LC, it would also be good if you stayed, too. I'll go with the salarians," Ashley said to us.

"With all due respect, Gunnery Chief, it's not your place to decide," Kaidan told her.

"Why is it that whenever someone says 'with all due respect' they really mean 'kiss my ass?'" Ashley asked.

"I feel your pain, Ash. I'm willing to go with the salarians as well, Commander," I told John.

"Williams, you'll accompany the captain. No heroics, understood?" John asked Ashely.

"Aye, aye, Commander!" Ashley agreed.

"I will have the ordnance loaded onto the Normandy and brief your crew on its detonation sequencing. Do you have any questions before we go, Commander?" Kirrahe asked.

"I'm ready when you are, Captain," John told him.

"Excellent. Then if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare my men," Kirrahe said to us before leaving.

"Well, this is it. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, you two. You too, Commander," Ashley said to us.

"We'll be fine. You'll see," Kaidan told her.

"We're stronger than we look, Ash," I said to her.

"Yeah, I just…good luck," she said.

"Is there something you want to say, Chief?" John asked noticing her hesitation.

"I don't know. It's just weird. Going under someone else's commanded. I've got used to working you…all of you," Ashely told us.

"Don't worry, We'll see you on the other side," Kaidan told her.

"If you don't meet us, then I'll kick your ass," I joked. She chuckled.

"I know. I, ah…it's been an honor serving with you, Commander," Ashley said to John.

"It doesn't matter if we're not in the same unit, we're still a team. Watch each other's backs, keep your eyes open and fight like I know you can. We'll all come out of this in one piece," John said to all of us.

"You bet, Commander," Ashely agreed. We then stood behind Kirrahe as he talked to his men.

"You all know the mission and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life, but I have also heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns. We are trained for espionage. We would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way. Think of our heroes, the Silent Step, who defeated the nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden facts. These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the network, there was the fleet. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers. Our influence stopped the rachni, but before that, we held the line. Our influence stopped the krogan, but before that, we held the line! Our influence will stop Saren! In the battle today, we will hold the line!" Kirrahe told his men. He turned to us. "Good luck, Commander. I hope we will meet again." Its then we got going. Kaidan and I stayed with John and made it to the other side of the wall. " _Comm check. Do you rea me, Commander?_ "

"It's fine. Let's move," John confirmed.

" _Good. We'll start our push. We'll try to make it to the AA guns, but it might be up to you to finish the job. And Commander? If you see any way to undermine their defenses, we could definitely use the help,"_ Kirrahe said. We first went to the Triangulation Tower where we took down some geth and I turned the geth communication off. We made it to another tower and shot down the Satellite Uplink. We snuck into the back of the facility, taking down krogan and geth along the way. After we made it in, I went to the panel.

"We've got access to base security. Should be able to cut the alarms from here. Might even be able to trigger alarms on the far said of the base. It'll clear the guards out for us, but they might be too much for Williams and the salarians to handle," I told John.

"Just disable the alarms. We can handle any guards inside," John assured me.

"Aye, aye, Commander," I said disabling the alarms. "Done." We then made our way up the stairs where we were attacked by some salarians that worked for Saren. We then found some salarians in cages.

"What do you want? I told you everything! I-Who are you? Alliance, right? I knew someone would come. It tried to break me, but it couldn't! I shut it out!" A salarian commando told us.

"Slow down, I need to know where you came from," John told him.

"Private Menos Avot of the Third Infiltration Regiment STG, sir! Captured while on reconnaissance six days ago. Glad to answer, sir! Never any questions from these bastards. Just whispers and poking and cutting. I'd have said anything to get out and get some payback. That's not much to ask, is it? A little payback?" The salarian commando asked.

"What did they do to you, soldier?" John asked.

"Experiments, but I don't know what for. The effect of incessant whispering on my shortening temper? Who knows? I just need out," he answered.

"Something's not right here, John," I said. I was getting a bad feeling from this.

"If we don't let him out, he's as good as dead. We have to do something," John said to me.

"Yes, leaving me here would be bad. Very bad. It's too small and the noise just won't go away. Whispering is loud, you know? I need to get out. Let me out," the commando said.

"Set him free. He could help us," John said to me.

"Yes, sir! You'll find that I am very good at following orders. I should be. I hear them over and over. Why are they repeated when they are so simple?" The commando asked as I opened the door. "So damn simple!" He shouted. The commando and his two followers attacked us. We killed them then. I gave John a look.

"Next time I get a bad feeling, listen to me. It hasn't failed me before," I told him. He nodded and we got going. Once we made it to a catwalk, another salarian talked from a cage. We made our way down to them.

"Well, you're not a geth. And you're not wearing a lab coat. I guess I'm glad to see you. Lieutenant Ganto Imness of the Third Infiltration Regiment, captured during recon. I assume the fleet was called in to destroy the base?" The salarian asked.

"The transmission wasn't clear. The fleet is not coming," John answered.

"I see. Then you must be the infiltration team. I know the captain. He will want this facility destroyed. My team was altered, indoctrinated. He knew about the breeding grounds. But the indoctrination is a greater threat, and far more horrifying. I watched good people reduce to mindless husks. There wasn't anything left. Others died during experiments. I envy them," the salarian commando said.

"Do you know anything about the experiments they were conducting?" John asked.

"They were studying indoctrination. Symptoms, progress. Saren uses it to control his people, but I don't think he fully understands it. I don't know much else. I just saw what they did to the others. Turned them into empty husks. I can't end up like that. Please-let me out!" The salarian pleaded. John looked at me and I nodded. He sounded sincere enough for me.

"I'm opening your cell, but then you're on your own," John said.

"Don't look back and hope to outrun the blast, hmm? A better chance than I had before you showed up. Thank you, human. And good luck. You'll need it," the commando said as John opened the cell. He then left. We went to another cage.

"These guys look docile. Their minds are gone," I frowned looking at the salarians.

"Why did Saren do this? To steal a man's mind like that is disgusting," Kaidan hissed.

"Open the doors. Give them a chance to outrun the blast," John said to us. I nodded and opened the doors.

"I just hope the poor guys will soon have their suffering ended," I murmured. After letting them out, we left and made it to a lab where there were some creatures, husks. We killed them and kept going until we reached a room.

"Don't shoot! Please, I just want to get out of here before it's too late," an asari said standing up with her hands up in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Who are you?" John asked.

"Rana Thanoptis, neurospecialist. But this job isn't worth dying over. Or worse. You think the indoctrination only effect prisoners? Sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain, too!" Rana told us.

"I thought this was a breeding facility," John said.

"Not this level. We're studying Sovereign's effect on organic minds. At least, that's what I assumed. Saren kept us in the dark as much as possible," Rana said.

"You help him and you didn't even know why?" Kaidan said incredulously.

"I didn't have the option of negotiating. This position is a little more…permanent than I'd expect. But I can help you. This elevator behind me goes to Saren's private lab. I can get you in," Rana said going to the door. She put in the code key and it was unlocked. "See? Full access. All of Saren's private files. Are we good? Can I go?"

"What were you studying here?" John asked.

"It's that ship, Sovereign. It emits some kind of…signal. Undetectable, but its there. I've seen the effects. Saren uses it to influence his followers, to control them. It's called Indoctrination. Direct exposure to the signal turns you into a mindless slave, like the salarian test subjects. But there's collateral damage, too," Rana informed.

"What do you mean by 'collateral damage'?" I asked her.

"Sovereign's signal is too strong. Spend too much time near the ship and you feel it. Like a tingle at the back of the skull. It's like a whisper you can't quite here. You're compelled to do things but you don't know why. You just obey. Eventually, you just stop thinking for yourself. It happens to everyone at the facility. My first test subject was the man I replaced. Now I just want to get out of here before it happens to me," Rana told us.

"Why is Saren researching this? Isn't he the one controlling it?" John asked.

"The signal comes from the ship. It makes us obey Saren, but I don't think he controls its. Not exactly. I think…he's scared it might be affecting him. Indoctrination is subtle. By the time the effects become noticeable, it's usually too late," Rana explained.

"Tell me more about this signal," John said.

"Signal's not exactly the right word. There's some kind of energy field emanating from the ship. It changes thought patterns. Over time-days, maybe a week-it weakens your will. You become easier to manipulate and control. But it's a degenerative condition. There's a balance between control and usefulness. The less freedom the subject maintains, the less capable it becomes," she replied. Well, now we know even more than we did before.

"I'm going to blow this place to hell and gone. If you want to make it out alive, you'd better start running," John told her.

"What? You can't….but I'll never…ahh!" Rana ran out. I smirked.

"You enjoyed that," Kaidan said to us both.

"I know I did," I answered while chuckling. John chuckled a little and we went to the door Rana unlocked. Once inside, I saw something down the ramp. "John, look over here. There's another beacon like the one on Eden Prime," I told him as I remembered the beacon he once mentions. John walked up to it and touches it, making it glow green. He's suddenly lifted up struggling a little. "John!" I shouted about to run over until Kaidan held me back.

"Stop, Paige! This happened to him before. The worse that happened before was a headache and a vision," Kaidan assured me. John then fell down on his hands and knees. I made Kaidan let go and I ran over to John, kneeling next to him.

"John, are you alright?" I asked as I helped him up. He gave a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he told me. I inwardly sighed of relief. We walked up the ramps and saw something glowing red.

"Why am I getting the feeling something bad is about to happen?" I asked. It's then something bigger appeared. "…and that would be why," I muttered.

"You are not Saren," the red hologram said.

"Is this some kind of VI interface?" I asked.

"Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding," the hologram said.

"I don't think this is a VI…" Kaidan said.

"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign!" Sovereign told us.

"Sovereign isn't just some Reaper ship Saren found. It's an actual Reaper!" John realized.

"Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they choose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are," Sovereign told us.

"The Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago. You couldn't have been there. It's impossible!" I exclaimed.

"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything," Sovereign said.

"There is an entire galaxy of races untired and ready to face you," John stated.

"Confidence born of ignorance. The cycle cannot be broken," Sovereign said.

"Cycle? What cycle?" Kaidan asked.

"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind," Sovereign told us.

"Why would you construct the mass relays, then leave them for someone else to find?" John asked.

"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, or technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it," Sovereign answered.

"They're harvesting us! Letting us advance to the level they need, then wiping us out!" I said angered.

"What do you want from us? Slaves? Resources?" John asked angered as well.

"My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nations. Independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence," Sovereign said.

"Where did you come from? Who built you?" John asked.

"We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure," Sovereign answered.

"Where are the rest of the Reapers? Are you the last of your kind?" I asked it.

"We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom," Sovereign said.

"You're not even alive. Not really. You're just a machine. And machines can be broken!" John stated.

"Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over," Sovereign said before disappearing. The windows blew out and John covered me.

" _Commander? We got trouble!"_ Joker told us.

"Hit me, Joker," John said touching his comm.

" _That ship, Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half. It's coming your way, and it's coming hard! You need to wrap things up in there-fast!"_ Joker said to us.

"This console is shot. Orders, Commander?" Kaidan asked.

"Let's head to the breeding facility. Joker can pick us up after we set the nuke," John answered. With that, we made our way to the breeding facility, shooting down enemies along the way. Once there Kaidan and another soldier unloaded the nuke and set it down way from the ship.

"Bomb is in position, we're all set he-!" Kaidan was interrupted.

" _Commander, can you read me?"_ Ashley comm'ed.

"The nuke is almost ready. Get to the rendezvous point, Williams!" John ordered.

" _Negative, Commander. The geth have us pinned down on the AA tower. We've taken heavy casualties. We'll never make the rendezvous point in time!"_ Ashley stated.

"Get them out of there, Joker. Now!" John ordered.

" _Negative. It's too hot! Can't risk it. We'll hold them off as long as we-!"_ The comm went to static.

"It's okay, Commander. I need a couple of minutes to finish arming the bomb. Go get them and meet me back here," Kaidan said to him. John nodded and had me and Wrex go with him. We then started making our way to help Ashely and the others. We then saw a geth ship.

"Damn. Geth are sending in reinforcements," Wrex stated.

" _Heads up, L-T. We just spotted a troop ship headed to your location,"_ Ashley warned.

" _It's alright ready. There's geth pouring out all over the bomb sight,"_ Kaidan said.

"Can you hold them off?" John asked.

" _There's too many. I don't think we can survive until you get here. I'm activating the bomb,"_ Kaidan told us. What? No!

"Alenko, what are you doing?" John demanded.

" _I'm just making sure this bomb goes off. No matter what,"_ Kaidan replied. " _It's done, Commander. Go get Williams and get the hell out of here."_

" _Screw that! We can handle ourselves. Go back and get Alenko,"_ Ashley argued. John thought hard about it. I knew one of them wouldn't make it and it hurt.

"Alenko, radio Joker and tell him to meet us at the bomb site," John ordered. His voice was strong, but his eyes showed pain.

" _Yes, Commander. I…"_ Kaidan trailed off.

" _You know it's the right choice, LT,"_ Ashley told him.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I had to make a choice," John said.

" _I understand, Commander. I don't regret a thing,"_ Ashley said before we had to go. We made it back to the bomb sight and started fighting the geth there. " _Commander, set that nuke and get out! We can't hold them…Damn it! Suppressing fire! Cover your flank! Cover you-!"_ Ashley said over the comm. A biotic blast landed by John. We looked up and saw Saren. We made sure to take cover so we couldn't get hit. Saren landed on the ground and John started shooting at Saren, no bullets got through the biotic shield.

"I applaud you, Shepard. My geth were utterly convinced the salarians were the real threat. An impressive diversion. Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's really at stake," Saren said.

"Why are you doing this?" John asked him.

"You've seen the vision from the beacons, Shepard. You, of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped. Do not mire yourself in pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead. But what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is submission not preferable to extinction?" Saren asked. I'd rather die than be a slave!

"Do you really believe the Reapers will let us live?" John asked.

"Now you see why I never came forward with this to the Council. We organics are driven by emotion instead of logic. We will fight even when we know we cannot win. But if we work with the Reapers-if we make ourselves useful-think how many lives could be spared! Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign, thought I was aware of the…dangers. I had hoped this facility would protect me," Saren told him.

"You're afraid Sovereign is influencing you. You're afraid he's controlling your thoughts," John stated.

"I've studied the effects of indoctrination. The more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes. That is my saving grace. Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own…for now. But the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me," Saren said.

"Why are the geth following Sovereign?" I asked from my hiding place.

"They believe Sovereign to be some kind of god. The pinnacle of their own evolution. But the reaction of their deity is most telling: it is insulted. Sovereign does not desire the pitiful devotions the geth hurl at it. They are just tools and no amount of belief on their part will change that. But as tools, they are useful. They will survive the coming invasion. If organic life is to survive, we must also prove we are useful. We must work with the Reapers," Saren answered.

"Tell me why Sovereign needs the Conduit. Tell me what it is. Maybe we can find a way to stop them," John told him.

"The Conduit is the key to your destruction and my salvation. Sovereign needs my help to find it. That is the only reason I have not been indoctrinated," Saren told him.

"Sovereign's manipulating you and you don't even know it! You're already under its power!" John stated.

"No! Sovereign needs me. If I find the Conduit, I've been promised a reprieve from the inevitable. This is my only hope," Saren said.

"Together we can stop Sovereign. We don't have to submit to the Reapers. We can beat them!" John said to him.

"I no longer believe that, Shepard. The visions cannot be denied. The Reapers are too powerful. The only hope of survival is to join with them. Sovereign is a machine. It thinks like a machine. If I can prove my value, I become a resource of worth maintaining. There is no other logical conclusion!" Saren told him.

"You were a Spectre. You were sworn to defend the galaxy. Then you broke that vow to save yourself!" John stated.

"I'm not doing this for myself! Don't you see? Sovereign will succeed. It is inevitable. My way is the only way any of us will survive! I'm forging an alliance between us and the Reapers. Between organics and machines. And in doing so, I will save more lives that have ever existed. But you would undo my work. You would doom our entire civilization to complete annihilation. And for that, you must die," Saren told him. We all started shoot at him and I ran over to Kaidan to keep him covered. John was on the ground when Saren grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up.

"Let him go!" I ordered pointing my gun. He was distracted and John punched him making Saren drop him. We were about to shoot, but he was too far out of range. John ran over and grabbed Kaidan. We all then got in the Normandy.

"Everybody hang on!" Joker said as he flew the Normandy. John and I looked back at the planet and saw the explosion. I rested my head on his shoulder as he grabbed my hand. We got our armor off and went to the comm room.

"I…I can't believe Ash didn't make it. How could we just leave her down there?" Kaidan asked. I grabbed his hand and he squeezed it.

"Williams knew the risks going in. She gave her life to save the rest of us," John said to him.

"But why me? Why not her?" Kaidan asked him.

"It wasn't your call, Alenko. I had to choose. I chose you," John answered.

"But if I'd done my job, you wouldn't have had to make that call," Kaidan said feeling guilty.

"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't my fault. The only one to blame here is Saren," John told him.

"Yes, sir. I'm-we'll get it done," Kaidan promised.

"Commander? Excuse me for interrupting. But I have an idea. I think the beacon you found in Saren's base was similar to the one you found on Eden Prime. It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision. I might be able to help you put all those pieces together," Liara told him.

"You want to join our minds again, don't you? Okay. Go ahead," John said getting up. Liara walked up to him.

"Relax, Commander. Embrace eternity!" She called before her eyes turned black. Soon they finished. "Incredible. I…I never thought the images would so…intense. I need a moment to collect myself," Liara said.

"Did the vision make any sense to you?" John asked her.

"It's a distress call, a message sent out across the Prothean Empire. A warning against the Reapers, but the warning came too late," Liara answered.

"What about the Conduit?" John asked.

"There were other images. Locations. Places I recognize from my research…Ilos! The Conduit is on Ilos!" Liara told him.

"I've never heard that name before," Garrus mused.

"I'm not surprised. Ilos is in a region of space accessible only through the Mu Relay. But the Mu Relay was lost thousands of years ago. Nobody knows where it is," Liara stated.

"If nobody's ever been there, how did you recognize Ilos from my visions?" John asked her.

"I recognize some of the landmarks from photos and vids I'd seen during my research. I know of Ilos. I just do not know where it is," Liara told him.

"How do you lose a mass relay?" John asked.

"Its original coordinates would place it deep inside the Terminus Systems. Unfortunately, a star in one of the nearby systems went nova roughly four thousand years ago," I stated making everyone look at me. "I do my own fair share of research. Finding any object in space is difficult. Find the Mu Relay inside a nebula cloud is virtually impossible. It would take decades," I stated.

"Are you saying it's hopeless?" John asked me.

"I am afraid so. Unless you somehow find the coordinates for the Mu Relay. Then it would be possible to," I told him. He nodded and dismissed everyone. I sighed and went to my room.


	8. The Citadel and Ilos

**~Paige~**

I laid on my bed and looked at the ceiling until I heard a knock at the door. I told them to come in and saw John. "Hey, what's up?" I asked him.

"I came to see how you were going…about Ashley," he said sitting next to me. I frowned and looked down.

"It's a little hard. She and I were friends and now she's gone. So, are we going to Ilos?" I asked him wanting to get off the subject of a fallen friend.

"No, the Council said we're needed at the Citadel," John answered. I sighed.

"They really like to waste our time, don't they?" I asked him. He chuckled.

"You have no idea," he muttered in agreement. I wonder what they want though. Once we docked at the Citadel, Kaidan and I went with John to talk to the Council. We made it to the tower and Marcus hugged me. I hugged him back and we went up the stairs, seeing the Council and Udina.

"Good job, Shepard. Thanks to you, the Council's finally taking real action against Saren!" Udina told John.

"The ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel-as you believe-we will be ready for him," the Asari Councilor said.

"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking Citadel space to the Terminus Systems," the Turian Councilor added. I shook my head. That isn't enough.

"You think a blockade's going to stop him? He's on Ilos looking for the Conduit right now! What are you doing about that?" John asked.

"Ilos is only accessible through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus Systems, Commander. It we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war," the Salarian Councilor said.

"Now is the time for discretion, Commander. Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy. Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over," Udina said to John.

"Sovereigns' the real threat! Saren's just a servant of the Reapers," John stated.

"Only you have seen the Reapers. And then only in visions. We won't invade the Terminus Systems because of a dream," the Asari Councilor told him. I narrowed my green eyes at her.

"Secrecy isn't his greatest weapon. The Conduit is!" John told them.

"Saren is a master manipulator. The Conduit is just a distraction from his real plan to attack the Citadel," the Salarian Councilor said.

"Oh? And do you know that for sure? Or is it just because you don't believe Shepard?" I asked crossing my arms. The three stayed silent. "That's what I thought," I sighed.

"One ship going into the Terminus Systems won't start a war. I can be discreet," John told them.

"You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire. I wouldn't call that discreet!" The Turian Councilor told him. I rolled my eyes. If he had read the report, it was Captain Kirrahe's idea to have the nuke destroy the facility!

"Your style served you well in the Traverse, Commander. We recognize that. But Ilos requires a deft touch. We have the situation under control," the Asari Councilor said. No they don't! I looked at Marcus who seemed equally as angry as I was.

"If Saren finds the Conduit, we're all screwed! We have to go to Ilos!" John said to everyone.

"Ambassador Udina, I get the sense Commander Shepard isn't willing to let this go," the Turian Councilor said.

"There are serious political implications here, Shepard. Humanity's made great gains thanks to you. But now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth," Udina said to John.

"You son of bitch!" I hissed glaring murderously.

"You're selling us out!" Kaidan agreed.

"It's politics, Commander. You've done your job, now let me do mine. We've locked out all the Normandy's primary systems. Until further notice, you're grounded," Udina said.

"Are you insane? After everything I've done, you still don't believe me?" John glared.

"I think it's time for you and your team to leave, Commander. This no longer concerns you. The Conduit can handle this. With my help, of course," Udina said.

"You bastard. Your jobs won't matter when we're all killed," I growled before stalking away. Marcus caught up to me and pulled me into his arms. "You believe John, right?" I asked.

"Of course I do, Paige," he told me. We looked over to see John walked angrily away to the Normandy. "You should go talk to him, Paige. He'll need you to help him through this," Marcus told me. I nodded and kissed his cheek before I went after John. Once on the Normandy, I changed out of my armor and went to find John. I found him in the mess hall by the lockers. He saw me and sat down.

"John, I'm so sorry the Council didn't believe you. You deserve better than that," I said softly to him.

"It's not your fault," he said to me.

"It's not right. You did everything they asked and more. Nobody else could have done all that you did! The Council owes you everything. And I mean everything! Instead, they strip you of your command and ground the Normandy," I said to him.

"I don't care if they ground me, but they refuse to go after Saren. If they don't stop him from finding the Conduit, we're all dead!" John told me.

"Maybe there's a way we can change their minds. There has to be something, John," I said to him.

"I pushed them as hard as I could! They wouldn't budge. You should know, you were there with me," John told me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So you're going to walk away? You will just give up and doom the entire galaxy to extinction?" I asked crossing my arms.

"We're out of the game for now. But I'll find a way back in," John promised. I sighed and let my arms fall to my side.

"I believe in you, John. I'm with you every step of the way," I promised him. I lent a hand out for him and he accepted it. I pulled him, but my strength pretty much pulled him to me. I looked at his blue eyes as his looked at me green ones. We started leaning in closer until…

" _Sorry to interrupt, Commander. Got a message from Captain Anderson,"_ Joker said making us move away.

"Are you spying on us, Joker?" John asked as I ran a hand through my dark hair. I was thinking of which bone of Joker's I should break.

" _No, sir. Just knew you were on the ship and figured I'd pass the message on. The Captain said to meet him at Flux. That club down in the wards,"_ Joker stated.

"You should probably go meet with him," I said to John.

" _Captain Cameron also wants you there, Paige,"_ Joker added.

"I guess we're both going then," John said. I nodded and we got ready. We then left for Flux were we saw my elder brother and Captain Anderson. Marcus shook John's hand before taking a seat.

"I'm glad you came, Shepard. I heard what happened," Anderson said.

"They pulled me off the mission. Just like when they forced you to give up the Normandy," John said.

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to warn you, but there was no way to get a message to you before you docked. I know you're pissed off right now, but you can't give up," Ander to him.

"They all think this is over, but we all know it's not. You have to go to Ilos. You have to stop Saren from using the Conduit!" Marcus told him.

"There's only one ship that can get me into the Terminus Systems undetected, and she's grounded," John stated.

"Citadel control's locked out all the Normandy's systems. But if we override the ambassador's orders we can get them to bring the Normandy back on-line. You can be in the Terminus Systems before anyone even knows you're gone," Anderson told him.

"If we steal the Normandy, you two are the ones left holding the bag," John told them.

"And if Saren finds the Conduit, life as we know it is over. The Reapers will destroy us. Humans, asari, everybody! You're the only one who can stop him, Shepard. So we'll do whatever it takes to get you on the Normandy and off this station," Marcus stated.

"Stealing the Normandy is mutiny. What if the crew won't help me?" John asked.

"The Normandy's your ship now, Commander. Her crew will follow you to the ends of the galaxy. We all know that," Anderson told him.

"I won't forget this, Captains. I promise," John said to them.

"I can unlock the Normandy from one of the consoles in the Citadel control center. You'll have a few minutes before anyone realizes what's happened," Marcus told us.

"Marcus, that's a restricted area patrolled by armed guards. How are you going to get in?" I asked.

"Leave that to us. Just make sure you're in the Normandy when the systems come back on-line," Anderson told us.

"You're going to get yourselves killed. There has to be another way," John said.

"Ambassador Udina issued the lockdown order. If I can hack into the computer in his office, maybe I can override it," Marcus said. We Camerons were always great at hacking.

"He's not going to let you just waltz into his office and use his computer," I stated.

"Hopefully, he won't be there. If he is, we'll just have to think of something," Anderson replied.

"Udina won't let this slide, Captain. You'll both be charged with treason, a capital offense," I told them.

"We don't have a lot of options. We break into the ambassador's computer, or we take our chanced with the patrols in Citadel control," Anderson said. John thought about it and stood up.

"You'll have a better chance if you go after the ambassador's computer," John told them. Marcus smirked.

"I was hoping you'd say that. The ambassador has made this personal," he told us.

"You ready to get the hell off this station, Commander?" Anderson asked.

"Let's do it," John answered.

"We'll take care of the lockdown. You get down to the Normandy and tell Joker to stand by," Anderson told us. I smirked at Marcus.

"Cause Udina hell, big brother," I told him. He smirked back.

"No worries, little sister. I fully plan to," he agreed. We all then went our separate ways. We made it on the Normandy and waited for Marcus and Anderson to give us the heads up. I was waiting with John and Joker until we saw the button go green.

"Let's go. Get us out of here, Joker. Now!" John ordered. Joker smirked enjoying this. He then took off and we were no longer trapped at the Citadel. We then set course for Ilos and John went to his room. After I got my things ready for Ilos, I went to John's room and walked in.

"John, may I speak with you?" I asked him as he stood up. I walked over to him.

"I was just thinking about you," he told me. I blushed a little.

"I have been thinking about you, too. As well as what we're about to face. John, I don't know what's going to happen on Ilos. I hope that we stop Saren, of course, but a part of me fears that we're already too late. Also, there is something I need to tell you…in case we don't make it," I told him.

"We're not going to fail. I promise," John said to me.

"Please, I'm not looking for comfort. Saren might already have the Conduit. I think it's time to be completely honest with each other. You already know I harbor feelings for you, John. At first, I was scared about admitting it due to my last marriage," I said softly.

"I want you to be sure about this, Paige. I don't want you to regret anything," he said to me. I smiled softly.

"John, I could never regret it with you. If I thought I was going to regret it, I wouldn't have come here. I want to do this, John…and this may be our last chance," I told him. He cupped my cheek and stroked his softly with his thumb.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked me. I held his hand and kissed his palm.

"More sure than I have been of anything. I love you, John," I said to him. He smiled as he pulled me close.

"I love you too, Paige," he told me.

 **(Lemon Start!)**

I kissed him softly and he kissed back, each of us adding more passion as the kiss deepened. I let him slip his tongue into my mouth after he licked my bottom lip. We fought for dominance which he won. He explored my mouth as he lifted me up, my legs around his waist making me feel the bulge in his pants. He carried me over to his bed and laid me down as he crawled on top of me, neither of us breaking the kiss. His hands moved under my shirt and caressed my sides making moan into his mouth. He removed my shit and moved his lips to my neck. Kissing, licking, sucking, and nibbling making me moan softly as he made love marks on my neck. I slid my hand down to the hem of his shirt and started sliding my hands up under, feeling his abs and chest. He shivered from the touch and I pulled his shirt off. I then turned us over and started attack his neck with my lips making him groan softly. He removed my bra as I marked his neck. He sat us up so I was still straddling him. He took on my nipples in his mouth, sucking, licking, and nipping it making me moan from the feeling. He then switched to my other nipple getting the same reaction. I felt my lower regions start to heat up just from that. He laid me down and took off my shoes, pants, and panties. He kissed down my stomach, dipping his tongue into my navel making me gasp and moan a little. He then moved his lips to my thigh and kissed up. My breathing started to labor as I felt and watched him. He made it to my womanhood and licked my folds making me moan. He started sucking on my clit making me go crazy with pleasure. I gripped the sheets as I tried not to buck my hips. I moaned loudly thanking god no one could hear us. I then felt him slip his tongue in my entrance making me moan more. He held my hips down as I tried to buck up. I started to feel my abdomen tighten.

"J-John...I-I'm…" I tried to warn. I came in his mouth with a loud moan. After five years of not getting laid, I've become this sensitive…not that it looked like he minded as he licked his lips clean. I turned us over so he was under me. "Me turn now, love," I whispered in his ear making him shiver a little. I removed his boots, pants, and boxers before I kissed down his stomach, tracing his abs with my tongue making him shudder. I then reached his manhood and wrapped my hand around it making his breathing hitch. I smirked and licked the tip which rewarded me with a groan. I licked and nipped it getting more groans from John. I started to feel pity and stopped teasing him by taking his member into my mouth. I heard him moan as his fingers made it to my hair. I held his hips down as I began bobbing my head and sucking him. I kept going and started deep throating him.

"Paige, I'm going to…!" John came in my mouth and I drank him. I sat up with a smirk as I licked my lips. He grabbed me and laid me under him before he kissed me with passion. He suddenly entered me and I moaned into his mouth as he groaned. He stayed still for a moment until I moved my hips against him. He go the hint and started thrusting into me. He moved his lips to my neck and I moaned with each thrust. I wrapped my legs around his waist making him go deeper. He groaned and sped up making his movements harder and faster. My nails scratched up his back making him groan more.

"John! I'm cumming!" I moaned as I felt my abdomen tighten again.

"Me too! Paige!" He came which trigger my to cum right away after him.

 **(Lemon Over!)**

John pulled out and laid beside me, both of us panty heavily. John pulled me into his arms and held me. My head rested on his chest over his heart that started to slow down. He kissed my head and smiled as I snuggled into his chest. He pulled the cover over us and we fell asleep. Later on, I woke up and John wasn't in bed. I looked over and saw John leaning against his desk with a smile and fully dressed. I smiled back.

"My, that was incredible," I told him.

"You were incredible," he told me. I blushed a little as I kept my smile.

" _Five minutes ETA to the Mu Relay_ ," Joker said over the comm. I sighed.

"I better get going. Duty calls. Also, you don't want to keep Joker waiting. And John…whatever happens on Ilos, I love you and try to be careful," I said to him. He walked over and kissed me.

"I love you too. You better be careful," he told me. I smiled and pecked his lips before getting up and getting dressed. We then made our way to the deck and up to Joker.

"Uh…Commander? We've got company," Joker said to us.

"Have their sensors picked us up yet?" I asked.

"Stealth systems are engaged. Unless we get close enough for a visual, they won't have any idea we're here," Joker told me.

"Picking up some strange readings from the planet's surface," Navigator Pressly told us.

"Take us down, Joker. Lock in on the coordinates," John ordered.

"Negative on that, Commander. The nearest landing zone's two klicks away," Pressly told him.

"We'll never make it in time on foot. Get us something close!" Kaidan told Pressly.

"There is nowhere closer! I've looked!" Pressly exclaimed.

"Drop us in the Mako," John said.

"You need as least a hundred meters of open terrain to pull off a drop like that. The most I can find near Saren is twenty," Pressly told him.

"Twenty meters? We'll never get in close enough for a drop," Kaidan said.

"We have to try!" I persisted.

"Find another landing zone!" Kaidan told Pressly.

"There is no other landing zone!" Pressly told him.

"The descent angel's too steep," Tali stated.

"It's our only option!" Liara said.

"It's not an option! It's a suicide run! We don't-!"

"I can do it," Joker said cutting Kaidan off.

"Joker?" John asked.

"I can do it," Joker confirmed.

"Gear up and head down to the Mako. Joker-drop us right on top of that bastard!" John ordered. Kaidan, John, and I then got ready in our armor and got into the Mako. Joker dropped us off, but the door closed.

"We have to get inside this bunker before Saren finds the Conduit! There's no way we're getting passed that door with brute force," I said.

"Saren found some way to open it. There must be some kind of security override somewhere in this complex," Kaidan told us.

"We'll have to find some way to get it up and running again," I mused. We got going and took down some geth while looking and hacking control panels. We managed to find our way inside an area and found a Security Panel. I hacked it and finished. "Come on. Saren already has a head start. We have to go find him before he reaches the Conduit," I said to John.

"Unless he's already found it. Then we're just walking into a trap," Kaidan retorted.

"Unfortunately, that's a chance we'll have to take," I told him.

"Hold on…something's happening," Kaiden said looked at a messed up hologram. The hologram said something, but I couldn't understand it.

"Sounds like some kind of message. But I don't recognize the language," Kaidan said.

"It's probably in Prothean. This recording must be 50,000 years old. No wonder we can't understand it," I told him.

"The message is all broken up, but I recognize some of the words. It's a warning against the Reaper invasion," John said making me blink.

"That's incredible! The Cipher must have transferred an understanding of the Prothean language into your mind," I said amazed. The damaged hologram started again.

"What's it saying? Can you make out anything useful?" Kaidan asked. The hologram spoke again.

"It said something about the Conduit, but it's too degraded to help. We should go," John told us. We made it back to the Mako and the door opened.

"Who votes we take the vehicle into the creepy, underground bunker?" Kaidan asked.

"Good idea. The firepower will come in handy," I said to him. We drove down the tunnel for a minute.

"I thought Saren would have set some kind of trap or ambush for us. They must have been in too much of a hurry," Kaidan said.

"Or we just haven't run into it yet," I retorted. We kept going and saw something on the walls.

"What are all those things on the wall? Some kind of containers?" Kaidan asked.

"They look like stasis pods. The Protheans probably tried to keep themselves alive through cryogenic freezing. Something must have gone wrong, though. This bunk became their bomb. The pods are dead…and so is anyone inside," I frowned looking at them. We kept going until we saw a force field and stopped. There was then one behind us as well. "What's happening?" I asked.

"It's a trap! Saren must have set an ambush," Kaidan answered.

"I don't think Saren's behind this," I mused. We got out of the Mako and went to the elevator that was next to us. "If this were simple and automated trap, Saren would have triggered it. What do you think this is?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just hope that whatever's down here is friendly. We've got enough enemies at the moment," Kaidan answered. We walked over and saw a hologram.

"You are not Prothean. But you are not machine, either. This eventually was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent out warning through the beacons," the VI said.

"Looks like some kind of VI program. Pretty badly damaged," I said to the others.

"I do not sense the taint of indoctrination up any of you. Unlike the other that passed recently. Perhaps there is still hope," the VI told us.

"Wait a minute. How come I can understand you? Why aren't you speaking the Prothean language?" Kaidan asked. Now I was curious to know.

"I have been monitoring your communications since you arrived at this facility. I have translated my output into a format you will comprehend. My name is Vigil. You are safe here, for the moment. But that is likely to change. Soon, nowhere will be safe," Vigil said to us.

"Are you some kind of artificial intelligence program?" John asked.

"I am an advance non-organic analysis system with personality imprints from Ksad Ishan, chief overseer of the Ilos research facility," Vigil said.

"Why did you bring me here?" John asked him.

"You must break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. But to stop it, you must understand or you will make the same mistakes we did. The Citadel is the heart of your civilization and the seat of government. As it was with us, and as it has been with every civilization that came before us. But the Citadel is a trap. The station is actually an enormous mass relay. One that links to dark space, the empty void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the Citadel relay is activated, the Reapers will pour through. And all you know will be destroyed," Vigil told us.

"How come nobody ever noticed the Citadel was an inactive mass relay?" I asked.

"The Reapers are careful to keep the greatest secrets of the Citadel hidden. That is why they created a species of seemingly benign organic caretakers. The keepers maintain the stations most basic functions. They enable any species that discovers the Citadel to use it without fully understanding the technology. Reliance on the keepers ensures no other species will ever discover the Citadel's true nature. Not until the relay is activated and the Reapers invade," Vigil answered.

"How do the Reapers survive out in dark space?" John asked.

"We have only theories. The researchers here came to believe the Reapers enter prolonged states of inactivity to conserve energy. This allows them to survive the thousands and thousands of years it takes for organic civilization to rebuild itself. But in this state, they are vulnerable. By retreating beyond the edges of the galaxy, they ensure no one will accidently discover them. They keep their existence hidden until the Citadel relay is activated," Vigil answered.

"The Reapers can wipe out the Council and the entire Citadel fleet in a single surprise attack!" John exclaimed.

"That was our fate. Our leaders were dead before we even realized we were under stack. The Reapers seized control of the Citadel and through it, the mass relays. Communication and transportation across our empire were crippled. Each star system was isolated, cut off from the others. Easy prey for the Reaper fleets. Over the next decades, the Reapers systematically obliterated our people. World by world, system by system, they methodically wiped us out," Vigil said.

"The war was lost. If you had surrendered, they might have let you live," John said to him.

"No offer of surrender was ever given. Our enemy had a single goal: the extinction of all advanced organic life. Through the Citadel, the Reapers had access to all out records, maps, census data. Information is power, and they knew everything about us. Their fleets advanced across every settled region of the galaxy. Some worlds were utterly destroyed. Others were conquered, their populations enslaved. These indoctrinated servants became sleeper agents under Reaper control. Taken in as refuges by other Protheans, they betrayed them to the machines. Within a few centuries, the Reapers had killed or enslaved every Prothean in the galaxy. They were relentless, brutal and absolutely thorough," Vigil informed.

"I don't understand. Where did the Reapers go after they conquered your people?" John asked.

"Our worlds were stripped bare, harvested by the indoctrinated slaves. Everything of value-all resources, all technology-was taken. Certain that all advanced organic life had been extinguished, the Reapers retreated back through the Citadel relay into dark space, sealing it behind them. All evidence of the Reaper invasion had been wiped away. Only their indoctrinated slaves were left behind, abandoned. Mindless husks no longer capable of independent thought, the indoctrinated soon starved or died of exposure. The genocide of the Protheans was complete," Vigil answered.

"What do the Reapers get out of this? Why do they keep repeating this pattern of genocide over and over?" I asked.

"The Reapers are alien, unknowable. Perhaps they need slaves or resources. More likely, they are driven by motives and goals organic beings cannot hope to comprehend. In the end, what does it matter? Your survival depends on stopping them, not in understanding them," Vigil told us.

"You said you brought me here for a reason. Tell me what I need to do," John said.

"The Conduit is the key. Before the Reapers attacked, we Protheans were on the cusp of unlocking the mysteries behind mass relay technology. Ilos was a top secret facility. Here, researchers worked to create a small-scale version of a mass relay. Once that linked directly to the Citadel: the hub of the relay network," Vigil explained.

"The Conduit's not a weapon. It's a back door onto the Citadel!" Kaiden explained.

"How did you manage to stay hidden?" John asked.

"All official records of our project were destroyed in the initial attack on the Citadel. While the Prothean Empire came crashing down, Ilos was spared. We severed all communication with the outside and our facility went dark. The personnel retreated underground into these archives. To conserve resources, everyone was put into cryogenic stasis. I was programmed to monitor the facility and wake the staff when the danger had passed. But the genocide of an entire species is a long, slow process. Years passed. Decades, centuries. The Reapers persisted. And my energy reserves were dwindling," Vigil told us.

"You should have fought!" John told him.

"We were a few hundred against a galactic invasion fleet. Our only hope was to remain undetected. I began to disable the life support of non-essential personnel. First support staff, then security. Once by one, their pods shut down to conserve energy. Eventually, only the stasis pods of the top scientists remained active. Even these were in danger of failing when the Reapers finally retreated back through the Citadel relay," Vigil informed. I narrowed my eyes.

"There were hundreds of stasis pods out there! You just shut them down? You killed them?" I asked angered.

"You were programmed to protect them! Not kill them!" John agreed.

"This outcome was not completely unforeseen. My actions were a result of contingency programming entered on my creation," Vigil said to us.

"I bet they didn't tell the 'non-essential' staff about the contingency," Kaidan told him.

"I saved key personnel. When the Reapers retreated, the top researchers were still alive. My actions are the only reason any hope remains. When the researchers woke, they realized the Prothean species was doomed. There were only a dozen individuals left, far too few to sustain a viable population. Yet they vowed to find some way to stop the Reapers from returning. A way to break the cycle forever. And they knew the keepers were the key," Vigil explained.

"I still don't understand what's going on here. Why is Saren trying to find the Conduit?" John asked.

"The Conduit gives him access to the Citadel and the keepers. The keepers are controlled by the Citadel. Before each invasion, a signal is sent through the station compelling the Reapers to activate the Citadel relay. After decades of feverish study, the scientists discovered a way to alto this signal. Using the Conduit, they gained access to the Citadel and made the modifications. This time, when Sovereign sent the signal to the Citadel, the keepers ignored it. The Reapers are trapped in dark space," Vigil said.

"Saren must have some plan to undo everything you did," I mused.

"The one you call Saren will use the Conduit to bypass the Citadel's defenses. Once inside, he will transfer control of the station to Sovereign. Sovereign will override the Citadel's systems and manually open the relay. And the cycle of extinction will begin again," Vigil told us.

"Is there any way we can stop them?" John asked.

"There's a data file in my console. Take a copy when you go. When you reach the Citadel's master control unit, upload it to the station. It will corrupt the Citadel's security protocols and give you temporary control over the station. It might give you a chance against Sovereign," Vigil told him.

"Wait. Where's the Citadel's master control unit? I've never heard of anything like that," I said to Vigil.

"Through the Conduit. Follow Saren. He will lead you to your destination," Vigil told him.

"If the Reapers are trapped in dark space, how did Sovereign get there?" I asked.

"It is logical to assume the Reapers would leave one of their own behind after each extinction, a sentinel to pave the way of their inevitable return. Like those in dark space, Sovereign probably spent most of the last 50,000 years in a state of hibernation. Periodically, it would wake to analyze the situation. Keeping its existence hidden, it would evaluate the state of galactic civilization. And, when the time was right, it would signal the Citadel and usher in the next Reaper invasion. But this time, the signal failed. The keepers did not respond. Sovereign's allies were trapped in the voice. Alone, it was forced to try and discover what had gone wrong," Vigil answered

"Sovereign's the largest ship in the galaxy. Why all this secrecy? Why not just attack the Citadel?" John asked.

"Sovereign is not invincible. Revealing its true nature would have united the forces of every organic species against it. Even a Reaper couldn't survive such odds. But the Reapers are patient. They will not rush into the unknown. Sovereign could have been planning this for centuries, moving deliberately gathering allies. Slowly, it has assembled the pieces of the puzzle, working through agents to keep itself hidden. Saren is the most visible pawn of the Reapers, but I doubt he was the first. Now, Sovereign has grown bold. Whether from confidence or desperation, I cannot say. But it is determined to reopen the portal to dark space," Vigil stated.

"What about the beacon on Eden Prime? And the one on Virmire? What were they for?" John asked.

"At our apex, the beacons spanned the breadth of our empire. We used them as a single galaxy-wide network, to transmit data and communications rapidly from world to world. Virtually all the beacons were destroyed during the invasion. But once the Reapers were gone, the survivors here on Ilos decided to risk sending out a message. We knew it was unlikely there were other survivors. But if there were, we wanted them to know about Ilos. We wanted to give them hope. So a message was sent across the network," Vigil told us.

"You could have exposed yourself to the Reapers," I mused.

"In truth, we didn't expect any of the beacons would still function, but we had to try. If there were survivors, we had to reach them. The message was meant for our own people. It was coded so only organic beings could interpret it. We still didn't understand the power of Reaper indoctrination. We never realized it could lead an agent of the machines-like Saren-to this word. But it has also led you here. So perhaps we did not fail after all," Vigil said.

"So when the Reapers created the Citadel, they created the keepers as well?" John asked.

"A more likely scenario is that the keepers were one of the early harvested civilizations. Perhaps the very first. Perhaps the responded well to indoctrination or the Reapers simple bred them to be obedient. In any case they were left behind to operate and maintain the Citadel. But the keepers are no long directly controlled by Sovereign or its ilk. They evolved so that they only respond to the signals emitted by the Citadel itself. When the Protheans altered the Citadel's signals, they broke Sovereign's hold over the keepers. Now they are completely harmless," Vigil informed.

"Sovereign must have realized organic races were difficult to control," John noted.

"A likely hypothesis. The keepers evolved in an unanticipated direction. Non-organic servant like the geth would be more predictable," Vigil said.

"What happened to the survivor from the Conduit Project?" I asked curious.

"They used the Conduit to gain access to the Citadel, but the Conduit is only a prototype. The portal only links in one direction, so they were trapped on the station. I do not know what became of them. It is unlikely they found any food or water on the station. I fear they suffered a slow, grim death. I only know they succeeded in their mission to seal the relay. Your presence here proves their sacrifice was not in vain," Vigil told us.

"Saren's got enough of a head start. Grab that data file and let's go!" John told us.

"The one you call Saren has not reached the Conduit. Not yet. There is still hope if you hurry," Vigil told us before going offline. We grabbed the data and hurried back to the elevator.

"It's tragic. For all their great achievements, the Protheans lost everything they worked hard for. Even their last plan failed," I mused with a frown.

"Not entirely. They've given us a weapon. They've given us a chance…if we can just get there in time," Kaidan said. We got in the Mako and made our way the Conduit, having to use the guns on the Mako to take down the geth. After going through the tunnels, I saw it.

"There! The Conduit! It's incredible!" I exclaimed.

"We don't have time to admire the view. We have to get through that relay…and these geth aren't going to make it easy on us," Kaidan stated. John kept driving and we saw some geth armatures. We had to avoid them if we wanted to make it to the Conduit which we did. Now, off to find Saren.


	9. Race Against Time

**~Paige~**

After making it to the Conduit, we were sent off and the Mako crashed as we landed. We carefully got out of the Mako, none of us were seriously hurt, just bruised.

"We need to get to the tower," I told John. He nodded and helped me up before we ran to the elevator. After a little bit, the elevator stopped as we felt a tremor. "Great, now what?" I muttered.

"Saren's locked the elevator! Suit up-we're going outside!" John said taking a gun out. We all put on our helmets then. He then shot the window so we could get out. We started moving and took out some geth along the way.

"Man, these guys are really annoying," I growled irritated.

"You're telling me!" Kaidan agreed as we used our biotics and guns.

"This will be over soon," John assured. We kept going and soon, we finally made up the tower and to where Saren was. Or at least, we thought he was here. We kept our guns aimed and Saren appeared on his flotation device. He threw a grenade, we jumped away and took over.

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Shepard," Saren said.

"In time for what?" John asked him.

"The final confrontation. I think we both expected it would end like this. You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes, Sovereign will have full control of all the Citadel systems. The relay will open. The Reapers will return," Saren told him.

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve," John retorted.

"You survived our encounter on Virmire. But I've changed since then. Improved. Sovereign has…upgraded me," Saren stated making my eyes widen.

"You let Sovereign implant you?!" I exclaimed.

"Are you insane?" John agreed.

"I suppose I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve," Saren told us. He really is an idiot! Sovereign didn't do that to make him stronger, just to make him ensured that he would be indoctrinated! "Now my doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join just and Sovereign will find a place for you, too," Saren told us.

"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?" John asked voicing my thoughts.

"The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!" Saren said.

"Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen!" John told him.

"We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful," Saren said.

"Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this!" John urged.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for…unh!" Saren groaned in pain. "The implants…Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me," Saren said to us. We all stood up.

"It's not over yet. You can still redeem yourself!" John told him.

"Saren, please!" I pleaded. Sure, Saren did some bad things, but he doesn't deserve this!

"Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you," Saren said before shooting himself in the head. I frowned and turned my head away as Saren fell. John placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze before walking up to the Control Panel. Kaidan and I followed. John then used the data we got from Vigil.

"Vigil's data file worked. I've got control of all systems," John told us.

"Quick! Open the station's arms. Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down before he regains control of the station!" Kaidan told him.

"See if you can open a communications channel," I added. John did so on his omni-tool.

 _"…the Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%. The Council is on board. I repeat, the Council is on board_ ," a woman said over the comm.

" _Normandy to the Citadel. Normandy to the Citadel. Please tell me that's you, Commander,"_ Joker said over the comm.

"I'm here, Joker," John assured.

" _We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura sector with the entire Arcturus fleet. We can save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in!"_ Joker told him.

"Are you sure about this, Shepard? Human casualties will be very high if you send your fleet in now," Kaidan told him.

"This is bigger than humanity. Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the galaxy!" I argued.

"True, that's why you can't waste reinforcements trying to save the Council. You must hold them back until the Citadel arms open up and the human fleet can go after Sovereign!" Kaidan added.

" _What's the order, Commander? Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?"_ Joker asked.

"Opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension-no matter what the cost!" John ordered.

"I hope the Council appreciates this," Kaidan sighed.

"If they don't, I'll knock them down a few until they do," I stated cracking my knuckles. Both men sent small smiles of amusement to me and we looked over where Saren landed.

"Make sure he's dead," John said to us. Kaidan and I made our way down and walked over to Saren. I took out my gun and shot him in the head again.

"He's dead," Kaidan assured. We were about to walk away until there were tremors and red lightning shooting around the area. It hit Saren then and a wave blew making Kaidan and I fly back. I hit the wall knocking the breath out of me. I regained my breathing and looked over at the newly transformed Saren. John and Kaidan rushed over to me and helped me up.

"Are you alright?" John asked. I nodded.

"I am. But he's not," I pointed to Saren who leapt up to a wall like a geth stalker.

"I am Sovereign! And this station is MINE!" Sovereign said through Saren. We took cover and began shooting at Saren.

"These implants really did make him stronger!" Kaidan called over the shooting.

"You're telling me! Can't this bastard get it through his thick…whatever it is and learn that he's going to lose?!" I shouted shooting. I then got an idea. "John! Kaidan! Cover me! I have an idea, but I need to get a little closer!" I told them. They were hesitant but nodded. I found a way to get a little closer to Saren and then caught him in my biotics. "Rot in hell, you son of a bitch!" I growled before ripping him in half. It's then Saren turned to ashes and it was done. John walked up and held me. I smiled at him.

"Great work, Paige," he praised as he pulled back. Kaidan hugged me next.

"That was a great idea," he told me. I blushed a little from the attention.

"T-thank you," I said making them chuckle. We then heard an explosion and looked over to see a piece of Sovereign flying over.

"Go!" John shouted at us. We started to run, making it up the stairs, but it was too late and we were all knocked out. I soon saw a light as I sat up. Kaidan was next to me, but no John. He didn't make it and I looked down as a tear slipped down my cheek.

"Captain Anderson! Captain Cameron! We've found them! They're in here," a man called out. Anderson and Marcus then came in. Marcus came over by me and hugged me out of relief.

"Take it easy…it's over. You're safe now," Anderson said to us.

"Where's the Commander? Where's Shepard?" Marcus asked us. I just shook my head looking down before looking over at where John once was. Marcus helped me up and I looked back at the spot again before letting Marcus start to lead me away. We then heard something and turned to save seen something move. Kaidan and I shared then looked back and saw John who made his way over with a smile. I smiled widely and ran over. I hugged him, minding his injured arm.

"You idiot, you had me worried!" I told him. He chuckled and hugged me back with his good arm.

"Sorry," he said before pulling back. We were all taken to the med bay and were patched up. John stayed with me at my place so we could rest for the next few days. We then had to meet up with the Council.

"Ambassador. Captains. Lieutenant Commander. Commander Shepard," the Asari Councilor greeted. "We have gathered here to recognize the enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the geth."

'Many humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel, brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we-the Council-might live," the Salarian Councilor added.

"There is no greater sacrifice, and we share your grief over the tragic loss of so many noble men and women," the Turian Councilor said next.

"The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commander. One we can never repay. You saved not just our lives, but the lives of billions from Sovereign and the Reapers," the Asari Councilor said.

"Commander Shepard, your heroic and selfless actions serve as a symbol of everything humanity and the Alliance stand for," the Salarian Councilor added.

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldier who gave their lives to save ours, we can honor their memories through our actions," the Turian Councilor added next.

"Humanity has shown it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the galaxy. You have proved you are worthy to join our ranks and serve beside us on the Citadel Council," the Asari Councilor finished.

"Councilor, on behalf of humanity and the Alliance, we thank you for this prestigious honor and humbly accept," Udina told them.

"We will need a list of potential candidates to fill humanity's seat on the Council," the Salarian Councilor said.

"Given all that has happened, I am sure your recommendation will carry a great deal of weight, Commander. Do you support any particular candidate?" The Asari Councilor asked. John, Marcus, and I shared a look before smirking. John looked back at the Council.

"We're about to go into war. We need someone with military experience. Someone like Captain Anderson," John said to them.

"Him? You must be joking. Anderson prefers to let his fists do the talking," Udina sneered.

"Only with you, Ambassador. Only with you," Anderson said amused. Marcus and I smirked.

"Are you sure about this, Commander? The Captain is a soldier, not a politician," Udina said to John.

"I believe that is the point," I stated.

"We've already got too many politicians on the Citadel. The Captain would be perfect for this job," John agreed.

"I think it's an inspired choice. The Council would welcome him with open arms, should he accept," the Asari Councilor said.

"I'm honored, Councilor. As humanity's representative, I'll do everything in my power to help the Council rebuild," Anderson agreed.

"Sovereign's defeat marks the beginning of a new era for both humanity and the Council," the Turian Councilor said. John and I shared a look then looked at the Council.

"Sovereign was only a vanguard. The Reaper fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ships, maybe thousands. And I'm going to find some way to stop them!" John told them before he and I started walking away.

"Shepard's right. Humanity is ready to do its part. United with the rest of the Council, we have the strength to overcome any challenge," Anderson said.

"When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we will drive them back into dark space!" Marcus added. John and I made it back to the ship and were ready to stop the Reapers before they come.

"Are you still going to stand by me through all of this?" John asked me. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck as his wrapped around my waist.

"I will stand with you through anything, John," I promised him. He smiled and kissed me. I kissed him back. Sure, we're facing a galactic catastrophe, but there's still enough room for love.


End file.
